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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793969">Queens And Crowns</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hjerteslag/pseuds/Hjerteslag'>Hjerteslag</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Queens [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Artist Clarke Griffin, Badass Clarke, Badass Lexa, Blood and Injury, Commander Lexa (The 100), Doctor Clarke Griffin, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Heda Lexa (The 100), Jealous Clarke Griffin, Jealous Lexa (A little), Minor Character Death, Multi, Princess Clarke Griffin, Princess Lexa (The 100), Secret Identity, Slow Burn, Wanheda Clarke Griffin, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:15:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hjerteslag/pseuds/Hjerteslag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nine years after King Jacob Griffin and Crown Princess Clarke Griffin's deaths Commander Alexandria Woods has taken the security of Trigeda to her own hands uniting the 12 main clans together.</p><p>While chasing a criminal, she meets the famous painter Wanheda who owns the biggest Gambling House and Inn in the capital.</p><p>Despite her cold and unattached personality she finds herself drawn to the woman with fierce and stubborn blue eyes, face always covered in a scarf. She's a puzzle. A puzzle Lexa is determined to solve.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abby Griffin/Jake Griffin, Anya &amp; Raven Reyes, Anya/Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin &amp; Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Emori/John Murphy (The 100), Octavia Blake &amp; Lincoln, Octavia Blake/Lincoln</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Queens [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>148</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the last few days of spring. Fresh buds were bloomed, animals were awaken, some of them had given birth to new lives, farmers and gardeners had planted new seeds, the temperature was slowly rising; inviting summer to come and embrace this new changes. The rain had most likely stopped. But one could see the sudden appearance of black clouds in the sky to the right above The Kingdom Of Trigeda.</p><p>Trigeda was a very beautiful country with so many gifts of nature which were unfortunately scattered throughout the country dividing the country to parts. First conflicts over natural resources later became power struggles that lasted for generations. Hundreds of years later, the country was divided into twelve tribes/clans, but the war and conflicts were still not over.</p><p>The Kingdom of Trigeda looked like an upside-down trapeze on maps. When horizontally divided it into three equal parts one could see five clans on the bottom section. Broadleaf clans was on the right corner while Rock Line clan was positioned on top of Great Lake clan on the left corner. To the right between the two corners was Mount Weather clan and to the left was Glowing Forest.<br/>
Trikru clan took almost the whole right side of upper two parts of the trapeze. Middle part of the trapeze was Arkadia, positioned next to the lower part of Trikru. To the left to Arkadia was Delphi clan which was the smallest clan of the country. On the left corner of the middle part and on the top of Rock Line clan was Shallow Valley clan. Sankru aka Desert clan was positioned on the top of Shallow Valley and on the top left corner of the trapeze. To the right between Sankru and the upper part of Trikru was FlouKru clan and to the left was Blue Cliff clan.</p><p>Biggest and the longest river of Trigeda, Trikru river started from the right corner of Trikru and flowed freely towards Sankru clan separating Azgada lands above Trigeda. It turned into the country from the top left corner of Blue Cliff clan separating Sankru and it. It poured down all the way down from the middle of the country; separating Shallow Valley from Delphi and Rock Line and fell into the sea between Glowing Forest and Great Lake clans.</p><p>A tributary of this large river named 'Ouska River' started near Delphi clan and streamed between Glowing Forest and Delphi clans, separating Mount Weather from Arkadia and fell into the sea between Broadleaf clan and the bottom right corner of Trikru.</p><p>Trigeda was a peninsula surrounded by sea on the South, East and West sides. Above the country was Azgada, a large country with a cold climate and so much ice. Southern Islands was an island, medium in size which was situated southeast of Trigeda separating it from Trigeda by a almost nonexistent strait.</p><p>When viewed from the outside, the kingdom looked peaceful and beautiful just like the ending spring season. But the black clouds were still there, above it all.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Abigail Griffin, head healer to Arkadia and the queen to the Kingdom of Trigeda, wandered around the infirmary checking the few soldiers who were getting treated there currently. They had been attacked by a leopard on their patrol around the forest previous night and they had saved a whole village sacrificing some of their own limbs. When they admitted to the military infirmary of Arkadia, The queen had taken it to her own hands fixing them, because she was the most talented healer the nation had ever known. Some of the soldiers were already getting better and they smiled at her gratefully. </p><p>When she reached the last bed of the infirmary, there was a young man laying on the bed with a book and a frown covering his face as two other people were sitting at his bedside. The patient, who could not be more than fifteen years of age was dark skinned and slender built; but his eye shone with intelligence. When he noticed the queen standing near his bed he looked at her with a pleading look in his eyes. The queen chuckled and with her authorized voice she used with stubborn patients said</p><p>"No Wells, I am not letting you go after them. Not untill you are fully recovered"</p><p>Young boy pouted. "But Abby, I'm perfectly fine. I can even run. Let me show you"</p><p>The queen leveled a glare on him. "Your ankle is sprained Wells. You need to rest"</p><p>"But Clarke asked me to come with her"</p><p>"And she said you to rest. No. She demanded you." </p><p>Wells Jaha, Heir to the one of the three lesser noble houses of Arkadia, Jaha Household, smiled at the queen.</p><p>"Yes she did. She's so demanding"</p><p>"She is acting like a queen even if she's just the crown princess" Octavia Blake, a young brunette who was sitting at his bedside chimed with her overly cheerful voice and a smirk on her lips. </p><p>Other person who was sitting, his brother, Bellamy Blake - Heir to the Blake Household - looked at her with a frown.<br/>
"She IS the queen. I mean she is going to be"</p><p>The queen smiled looking at them. They were such joyful teenagers that the queen so often felt like she had more than two children. Arkadian palace was always filled with laughter whenever they were around.</p><p>"Your Majesty" sound of someone calling her made the queen turn and look at the messenger who was lingering around the entrance of the infirmary.</p><p>"Yes"</p><p>"Your Majesty, Commander Gustus, Lady Anya, Lord Lincoln and Lady Alexandria have arrived the mansion" he bowed and said.</p><p>"Lexi is here??" A loud shriek and and hurried footsteps were the only warnings before a ten years old girl came running in to the infirmary with a wide and exciting smile. The queen looked at her unimpressed.</p><p>"Madelyn Griffin, what did I tell you about screaming??" The queen turned her glare to the girl and she suddenly looked sheepish. But that didn't erase her smile.</p><p>"But Mother, Lexi is here and we are going to Polis tomorrow" </p><p>The queen smiled. How could she be mad at such bundle of joy? </p><p>"Your Majesty" The queen's admirable thoughts about her younger daughter came to a hold when a large man with a magnificent beard entered the room. He was wearing a full body armour, a sword firmly on his hip, a green sash attached to his left shoulder armor which represented his status in Trigedian Army. </p><p>"Gustus, How was your journey?" The queen questioned with a smile.</p><p>"It was comfortable your majesty. It was good to see what Lord Jaha had done for his people" The man, Gustus Forrester, acting Commander of Trigedian Army replied with a bow. </p><p>"What about you three? Did you enjoy?" The queen directed her eyes at the three young people stood behind Gustus with their heads turned downwards in bows. </p><p>"Yes your majesty, It was...educational?" The blonde girl of the three -Anya Forrester, only daughter of Gustus- who lifted her head and held it high replied with a smile. Her eyes were sharp and dark. Hair in braids. Right hand on the hilt of her sword that was attached to her hip. She was oozing confident and wilfulness. </p><p>"Are you asking me or telling me?" The queen asked with an amused smile.</p><p>"She was complaining all the way your majesty, she says learning about the boaders of clans makes her bored" Lincoln Forrester, bare-headed, dark and tall boy with a too muscular body for his age, answered for his sister -who glared at him-with a smirk on his lips.</p><p>The queen shook her head and turned her attention with a fond smile to the girl who stood tall and proud in the middle of Forrester siblings, wearing an armour, a magnificent looking sword attached to a belt around her waist, two daggers firmly in the holsters on each leg. She looked fierce, ruthless even. Her face was cold and blank without a trace of any emotion. But her eyes were gentle with a hidden warmth inside them. The queen thought that she knew exactly where that warmth came from. She knew a pair of eyes that held the same fierceness and warmth. It ached her heart to think about it.</p><p>The queen's inner train of thoughts stopped with a squeal.</p><p>"Lexiiee" Little princess Madi, who evidently was unable to contain her excitement any longer jumped in to the older girl's arms. The queen kept looking as she bent down to secure the little girl in her arms and patted her back slowly. The queen saw that hidden spark of warmth come in full force in to the girl's eyes as her lips curled into a tiny smile. She knew that this was one of that very rare moments when the stoic Alexandria Woods showed any emotions and her little girl was always capable of doing so to the older girl. <em>Someone who didn't knew them and saw them for the first time would definitely think of them as sisters.</em> The queen thought with a gentle smile.</p><p>"Come Gustus, we can talk in meeting room. Jake and Clarke will be back soon" the queen exited the infirmary after giving Wells another warning look and the commander and his three companions followed her after nodding to Wells, Octavia and Bellamy.</p><p>While walking towards the meeting room of the palace the queen glanced at her younger daughter who was happily walking beside Lexa smiling at her. To queen's utter surprise Lexa was holding Madi's hand. She smiled and addressed the princess "Madi, Don't you have an Arkadian history lesson scheduled now"</p><p>Little girl pouted and frowned at her mother's words. The queen knew she didn't want to leave Lexa. Those two were very close and considered each other best friends despite thier age different. Normally stoic older girl was always willing to help and listen to little princess any time she wanted. </p><p>The queen looked at the princess with a stern face and said "I think you already are late Madi. I'm sure you can meet Lexa later. She's not going anywhere"</p><p>Little princess sighed dramatically and looked at the older girl with a pout. The queen saw Lexa's face soften as she gave a reassuring nod to her little friend. Madi beamed at her and said with a hopeful voice "I will see you tonight Lexi. I have this boring lesson to attend now" With that the princess gave her mother a neglectful bow of her brunette head and hurried outside with two handmaidens trailing behind her.</p><p>The queen shook her head at her little daughters activities and gestured the others to follow her.</p><p>Once they all reached the huge meeting room of the palace the queen ordered few servents to bring some wine and snaks for the guests who were clearly tired after spending a day learning about the boaders and the people of Arkadia.</p><p>"Is everything ready for the travels tomorrow?" The queen questioned Gustus. </p><p>The king and his family were visiting Arkadia, queen Abigail's native clan and the place where late king and queen, king Jacob's parents' tombs were built. King Jacob's mother, queen Elizabeth was from Arkadia and she had wanted her burial place to be there. King Richard, King Jacob's father had loved his wife so much that his last wish was to rest in peace besides his queen. He had built the palace of Arkadia as a gift for his queen. It was a tradition for Griffin royal family to visit there at least once a month or so. </p><p>The queen's inner thoughts were disturbed with Gustus's gruff voice.</p><p>"Yes your majesty. His majesty instructed everything to be ready by tonight. He is hoping to leave early" </p><p>"What about Clarke? I'm sure she will refuse to travel inside a carriage"</p><p>At that Gustus let out a little laugh. "Yes your majesty. Her majesty specially asked for a horse and His majesty gave his permission"</p><p>"Of course he did. He can never say no to her" The queen rolled her eyes. Even if it was a very non-royal expression, The queen was always comfortable around the people who were so close to her. </p><p>Some servents came inside with a jar of wine, few goblets and various plates of snaks and placed them on the table before them. The queen gestured her guests to start after a servent presented her a goblet filled with red liquid.</p><p>When all the servents left the room, The queen's expressions suddenly changed. After taking a sip of her wine she looked at Gustus with a serious look.</p><p>"How is the peace talking going? Jake never tells me anything because I always refused to involve in such matters. But I know the situation is not good. Battles among the clans must have increased since he barely gets any sleep these days"</p><p>The big man narrowed his eyes, took a large gulp from his goblet and looked at The queen.</p><p>"I am not going to sweeten it your majesty. The situation is not good. Arkadia, Trikru and Mount Weather are the only clans that are not ininvolved in war right now. Trikru and Mount Weather are safe because of their military power and wealth. Arkadia is safe because.."</p><p>"..because of The King" The queen finished for him with a nod.</p><p>Gustus nodded back and took another gulp of wine.</p><p>"So what is Jake planning to do that he suddenly decided to hold this summer party for 12 clans?"</p><p>Gustus took a deep breath and looked around the room, as if he was searching for someone. Then he put his goblet on the table and put both of his hands on the table, fingers entwined together.</p><p>"His majesty asked Dante to sign an agreement with him prohibiting Mount Weather from supplying money or soldiers to any clan. He thinks it will help to cool down the situation for a while for him to figure out what to do next"</p><p>"Why Mount Weather?" The queen frowned.</p><p>"Because Mount Weather is the second wealthiest clan and the only one that sells men to other clans to train as soldiers" Lexa, who was sitting silently besides Gustus replied with a clench of her jaw.</p><p>The queen's frown fell away for a moment as she looked at the young woman. She was far wise for her age.</p><p>"Hmm..let's hope his plans will work. Now that I see all of you are tired after this long day, I think you should get some rest. I will send for you when Jake is here" The queen sighed before saying with a small smile.</p><p>All four of them bowed to The queen and headed to the door, only to stop when they heard her voice again.</p><p>"Lexa, can I speak with you?" Alone was clearly hidden behind The queen's request and the girl stood behind when the other three people left the room, clearly understanding The queen's words.</p><p>The queen gestured for Lexa to come and sit. When she started to walk towards the chair she was sitting before the queen held her hand and made her sit on the chair next to hers. When the young girl looked at her with a puzzled look, The queen just smiled and said "I just wanted to talk to you. Personally thank you for saving Clarke yesterday. I couldn't get a chance because you had already left this morning when I sent for you"</p><p>The girl first shook and then bowed her head. "I just did my duty your majesty"</p><p>"But your duty starts next week. Doesn't it?" The queen smirked when she saw the way brunette's ears turned red and then added softly and carefully as if not to scare the girl,</p><p>"I know you said yes to Jake when he asked for you to become the personal guard for Clarke but I know about the way she treated you over the past year Lexa. I don't know why she's behaving like that with you. That is so different from her usual demeanour"</p><p>To queen's astonishment the girl's mouth curled up to a small smile. The Queen couldn't help but think how beautiful the young brunette looked when she smiled. <em>Just like her mother.</em></p><p>"That is not a problem your majesty. She thinks that I am going to betray the king and Trigeda one day. It actually is very Queen like thinking. She's worried about her country's safety in the hands of a half Azgadian. I don't blame her for that. It means she genuinely cares about her country and that is what she's supposed to do as the crown princess"</p><p>The queen's eyes widened after listening to brunette's - very rare - rambling. When Madi said the way her eldest daughter, crown princess of Trigeda demanded Lexa to prove her loyalty to Trigeda and asked her if she's going to betray her country, while pressing a knife to her throat, it had shocked The queen to her very core. She had summoned the older princess that night and scolded her for being so rude to a girl who had lost everything but still stayed faithful and devoted to Trigeda and its royal family.</p><p>"But that is no way to treat someone rudely Lexa. You don't deserve her tantrums. I really hope you can handle it" To the queen's concerned look, the girl just smiled slightly.</p><p>"I can your majesty" she was so full of confident. But then her expressions hardened when she added next "And her majesty is not the only one who is waiting for the day I abandon Trigeda and crown as the queen to Azgada"</p><p>Queen Abigail knew it. She knew so many nobles thought about the brunette like that too. But they were too cowered to voice those thoughts.</p><p>The reason for the mistrust and accusations was that Alexandria Woods was in fact the true heir to the Azgadian throne. When the late king of Azgada, king Zoran decided to step down from the position and make his eldest daughter the queen. Crown princess Anesthesia- who was married to Alexander Woods, the commander of the Trigedian army that time - had refused the title and asked to stay in Trikru with her family. But with the her father's constant insistent she had decided to accept the position and traveled to Azgada with her family only to get ambushed by her own younger sister, third princess Nia's army. Princess Anesthesia had died and the commander Woods had barely been able to take his children to the safety of Trigeda using a secret road from Azgada to Trigeda. Princess Nia became the next queen and she imprisoned her second nephew and niece - prince Roan and princess Echo - children of late second princess Amelia who died in childbirth. </p><p>King Jacob accepted the children of his best friend, his commander - Alexandria and Aden; Princess and prince to Azgada, Lady and lord to Trikru - with open arms and treated them as his own. Gustus was Alexander Woods' cousin and he adopted them becoming a second father to the two.</p><p>Princess Anesthesia was queen Abigail's best friend and even after a year of that horrible incident the queen still missed her. She thought it as her responsibility to protect and love her best friend's children and was determined to do anything to do so.</p><p>Recovering from her thoughts the queen took Lexa's hand in her own, making the girl widen her eyes and voiced her inner thoughts with a clear and stern voice. <br/>
"Lexa.. you act like you don't care all the time but I know you are hurt. It's okay to share your burdens with someone and I am here for you. Your mother was my best friend and I'm going to do anything to protect what she valued the most. I am here for you and Aden anytime you want. Jake too." </p><p>The brunette lifted her head and looked at the queen with the softest look the queen had ever seen in her eyes. Her emerald eyes were shining and the queen tried to understand if it was a trick of lightning or unshed tears. She nodded and murmured in a small voice "I know your majesty. Thank You"</p><p>The queen squeezed her hands and then rolled her eyes "When are you going to call me Abby..huh?"<br/>
The brunette's only reply was a slight upward quirk to her lips.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Later that evening the queen was pacing on the balcony of the palace of Arkadia. It was late and her husband and daughter had still not arrived to the palace. The queen knew whenever the father-daughter duo was out they always lost the track of time. Gustus and Lexa had gone to meet the King and the crown princess at the entrance of the palace with 5 soldiers. But it had been two candle marks and the mother and the wife inside of the queen were getting restless. </p><p>After another two candle marks, when the evening sun bathed the sky in deep red, two soldiers arrived the palace with the news that completely changed the fate of Trigeda and two women in particular.</p><p> </p><p>King Jacob Richards Griffin, ruler of Trigeda and the kindest king the history had ever witnessed was dead along with his daughter, crown princess Clarke. The news shook the whole country and its people entirely as everyone mourned the death of their beloved leader and the princess.</p><p>The evening that news set flames through the country, queen Abigail locked herself in her room - her and her husband's room - away from chaos, even from her ten year old daughter who was struggling to understand everything happening, refusing to believe that she would never get to see her father and sister again. The queen didn't come out of her room until next morning. Sounds of glass breaking and things smashing could be heard from her room throughout the night but no one dared to disturb her. She was normally a very calm person but her anger was not something one could face easily. </p><p>Next morning the queen came out from the room with red eyes and messy hair but a calm and solemn look on her face. She ordered some servents to clean the room with a groggy voice and went straight to princess Madi's room where she could see the little princess was sleeping in Lexa's arms. When Lexa saw the queen she started to get up from the bed but the queen gestured her not to and went there herself, sitting next to the brunette she stroked her daughter's hair. Her hand trembled while her heart broke into million pieces and the queen finally broke, tears streaming down her face. The queen's sobs made the sleeping princess to wake up and realize that her mother was finally with her. Little girl jumped into her mother's arms and started sobbing. </p><p>The queen suddenly felt lean but strong arms wrap around her and her daughter. When she looked up she could see Lexa was looking at them with her own eyes red and tears rolling down. In that moment the queen let herself go and let the young girl comfort them while she thought that how many more times the brunette would have to do this for them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
~~***~~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em><strong>9 Years Later</strong></em> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
Queen Abigail of Trigeda was standing on the stone balcony of The Castle Of Polis, looking at the courtyard where many warriors were gathered practicing and training. Her gaze stopped at two girls who were surrounded by a crowd of few people, everyone clad in leather boiled armours. The queen stared as one girl, slightly younger than the other lifted her sword to block the other older girl's attack and she felt herself smile a little when the people around them applauded for the crown princess Madelyn when she successfully blocked The Commander's strong attack. But the princess didn't get to celebrate her small victory because with one quick motion of her hand The Commander had already knocked down the sword of the princess.</p><p>The queen observed the commander. The girl the queen knew nine years ago was no longer there. The brunette had become a beautiful mature woman. She stood tall and poised, her posture absolutely perfect. The girl's hair was braided in signature braids of Trikru. Her blood red commander sash was attached to her shoulder armour, its end wrapping around her hand. </p><p>She's a perfect mixture of her parents. The queen thought with a pang of pain in her heart. That girl was not ordinary. She's the one who did something that everyone thought impossible; uniting the twelve clans, commanding an army and achieving her first victory in the war at the age of sixteen.</p><p>Looking at the most loved person of the nation - the queen knew she was not loved as much as the commander and she never had eny hard feelings about it. On the contrary she was proud of all the love and respect the brunette was getting - she took a stroll down the memory lane.</p><p>
  <em>King Jacob's death was the greatest tragedy the nation had witnessed in a long time. But the most unsettling thing about it had been the romours that had spread all around the country which said that the king had killed his brother in law and the general of Arkadia, Thelonious Jaha. The romours had started after finding the king and the others dead few yards away from the tomb of late king Richard. When Gustus and others found the corpses king Jacob's had been behind Jaha holding a sword which had penetrated him from behind through his chest. The soldiers had later found that it was Jaha's  own sword and the king's sword had nowhere to be found. Everyone had been able to understand that they had been attacked by someone but no one could explain the way the king and his most trusted general's bodies were situated.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Crown princess Clarke had also been disappeared. But when the soldiers had tracked the footprints of horses they had found a shoe the princess had worn that day, torn and entangled amongst the branches of a tree that had bent down to the precipice of a mountain cliff where the footpath from the tomb had ended. They had found horse footprints towards the cliff edge but not away from it. One soldier had gone down the upper half of the cliff using a rope and found some large traces of blood on some trees and a necklace covered in blood which the queen had later recognized as the crown princess's. Everyone had come to the conclusion that even if the princess had been able to escape she must have fallen down the cliff with her horse. The precipice was sharp and long, at the bottom of the mountain was the 'Ouska River' that filled with many rock reefs everywhere making it impossible for someone to survive such a fall.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The queen had been devastated when Gustus gave her the necklace destroying the last piece of hope she had inside her. That had been the last strand of self control the queen had as she again started to isolated herself from everyone. She had started drowning her sorrows in wine forgetting all her duties and responsibilities while twelve clans had started fighting again more violently, accusing each other about the king's death.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A year later on the day of the late king's memorial, Tyrant king Charles Pike of Southern Islands had taken the queen's lack of responsibility as her weakness and attacked two fishing villages of Mount Weather killing more than 200 of civilians and sending assassins to kill the queen on her way to the palace. Gustus had gotten severely injured fighting and Lexa had took two arrows to her - one to her left abdomen and other to her left shoulder - jumping infront of the queen and protecting her. Queensgards and the soldiers had successfully defeated the group of 30 assassins, killing them all and taken Gustus and Lexa to the infirmary of the castle of Polis. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The queen had treated Gustus and Lexa personally. While Gustus's injuries were serious, Lexa's had not been deep thanks to her armour. She had seemed to be lost somewhere even when the queen had started cleaning her wounds. She had grunted gritting her teeth, holding the bedsheet of the infirmary bed tightly while tears of pain pooled in her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pike had encamped his army of 3000 soldiers inside the destroyed villages and burned all the corpses in one huge pyre. Not only the people of Mount Weather but also Glowing Forest and Broadleaf people were terrified to see the huge flames that could be seen from miles away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mount Weather army had tried to defend their clan against them sacrificing 500 soldiers to the battle. Even if they had been able to stop Pike's army from marching forward into the country, they were lack of more soldiers to defend. General Myles of Mount Weather army had sent a messenger to Lord Dante Wallace who was in Polis attending the king's memorial saying that they wouldn't be able to hold any longer than two days with only 1500 soldiers against Pike.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All the Lords and minor lords who had been gathered in Pois for the memorial had been shocked to hear the message while the lord of Mount Weather asked them for help. But adding more fuel to their shock Lady of Trikru, Alexandra Woods had volunteered to go there with Trikru army. Even if the lords had not looked pleased with young, impulsive and injured girl's words no one hadn't dared to say anything knowing the power she had, asking the queen to take the final decision.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The queen had forbidden for her to go anywhere with her injuries but the stubborn brunette had given a speech infront of everyone saying if they were not going to defeat Pike it would make the kingdom look weak and since her uncle - commander of the army - is injured she is the one who could command the army since she had the birthright to it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Looking at the young brunette with fire in her eyes, the queen had finally decided to give her the permission knowing anything she said or did wouldn't be able to stop the determined girl. Next morning Lexa had departed from the capital - after; 1.Listening to three candle mark long lectures from both the queen and princess Madi, 2. Accepting a huge pouch of medicines the queen had personally prepared for her injuries and pain, 3. Making a promise to send a messenger twice a day with updates - with 3000 Trikru soldiers and 100 infirmary troops while civilians who were gathered on both sides of the road cheered for the life savior of their queen.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Two days later - since it took a day to travel from Polis to Mount Weather - the first report had come to the capital that said that acting commander Woods had joined the remaining Mount Weather army with 500 soldiers - 300 cavalry troops, 200 infantry troops - and 100 infirmary troops. The queen had stopped the messenger to confirm the numbers, but to her shock and the nobles' disappointment the numbers on the report had not been changed. Nobles had already started complaining when the messenger had started the remaining part of the report that said that she had aslo accompanied 25 honey farmers to the camp and sent them to Mount Weather forest with 50 soldiers at night. This bit of information had confused both the queen and the nobles as even the messenger had not been able to understand the acting commander's actions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But the next report which had come next evening had cleared all the doubt everyone had equally shocking and marveling them. Acting commander Woods had faced the enemy with her 500 Trikru soldiers and 1000 Mount Weather soldiers. But her army had stopped about 150 yards away from the enemy before attacking, heavily armoured cavalry troops in the front. To the enemy army's mockery and surprise acting commander had used five small catapults belonged to the Mount Weather army using some big satchels instead of the rocks as projectiles. Openings of the satchels had been closed using ropes and some liquid had been seeping out from them when they had thrown into the sky. About ten of these mysterious satchels had been thrown towards the enemy army making them land on the soldiers who had been in the back parts without any heavy armours. Some overly enthusiastic enemy cavalry soldiers had shot arrows through the mystery satchels making them ripped open. That had been the moment, the whole battlefield had erupted into chaos. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hundreds of poisonous wasps endemic to Mount Weather forests, had been released from the satchels and when the satchels hit the ground the enemy had been able to see the wasp nests inside them. The enemy army had started to lose their sense and confident when an army of wasps started attacking them from everywhere. The army had broken into several groups while trying to save themselves from the wasps. In that moment acting commander Woods had commanded her army to attack using the heavily armoured and fully covered cavalry troops first. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>About half of candle mark after the Trikru army had started attacking the battlefield had engulfed in sound of war horns and the remaining Trikru troops had entered the battlefield on both sides. From the right lady Anya and general Trey had entered with 1250 soldiers and from the left lord Lincoln and lady Charmaine Diyoza - one of the closest knights to the late king - had entered with the other 1250 Trikru soldiers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When this part of the report had been read by the messenger all the nobles - including the queen - had been sitting on the edges of their chairs listening to it like some little children listening to fairy tales. They had been wondered by the young commander's wisdom and strategy skills of using the environmental sources for a battle. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There had been a question whirling inside the queen - and so surely insdie the nobles - which was answered in the next part of the report. Acting commander Woods had instructed the honey farmers to make a huge pot of some tonic they used as an antidote for wasp poisen and add it to the water tank they used in camp making all the soldiers who didn't wear full armours drink it to protect them from any wasp attacks they could face on the battlefield.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hearing this the queen, nobles and other generals all had been speechless with that unexpected and amazing war strategy of the acting commander Woods.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Two days later another report had come saying that the battle had been finished with a great victory to acting commander Woods and only 178 soldiers from the enemy left who had been arrested as prisoners by the Trikru and Mount Weather army. Mount Weather army had been so ruthless trying to get revenge for their dead civilians not sparing any enemy soldier they could get. Charles Pike had escaped with 50 soldiers to his country, and to the queen's shock and fear the report said that the acting commander Woods had chased him to Southern Islands with 4000 of Trikru and Mount Weather army and the prisoners as she had sent the dead and injured soldiers home. While all the nobles had started complaining and accusing about the young acting commander's reckless move to invade a country - even if it was a small island -- with such a small army Lord Dante Wallace of Mount Weather, Lord Issac Santiago of Great Lakes, Young Lords Artigas of Desert Clan and Lord Illian of Glowing Forest along with the young Lady Alyssa of Blue Cliff clan and young Lady Luna of Boat clan had argued saying it was a wise choice at a vulnerable moment for Southern Islands as it was a well known fact that Charles Pike was a tyrant who robbed his own people recruiting soldiers and gathering food from civilians making them starved to death and he was loathed by the whole country.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Last report about the acting commander's invasion had made the court of Trigeda shell-shocked again. Acting commander Woods had invaded the capital of Southern Islands surrounding it and had attacked to the palace where Charles Pike had been hiding since he had no more faithful soldiers to fight for them unless the true Southern soldiers who had always loathed him and supported his father. She had personally entered the palace breaking its huge gates with her army and seized the palace. She had released the true heir to the country James Pike, Charles's older brother who had been imprisoned by him and had captured the tyrant Pike alive handed him over to James for him to decide a suitable punishment. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A week aftet that report acting commander Woods had returned home to Polis making history not only in Trigeda but also in Southern Islands. James Pike had personally come to see her off to city gates while so many civilians had gathered there to see the young girl who had brought them freedom. </em><br/>
<em>She had been received even more grand welcome by the people of Polis when she entered the city with all the cheering and clapping, chanting 'Heda' which meant 'Commander' in Trikru native language.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The queen had witnessed all the love the sixteen year old got standing on the balcony of the castle along with other nobles  amused to see the way Lexa had hidden her face in her helmet as she always seemed to shy away from attention. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even if the young commander had been sitting on her horse proudly when the queen got her hold on the girl at that night, she had gotten to see the damage the battlefield had done to her. Her past injuries had been rotten - which had earned her a long scolding from both the queen and the princess Madi - and she had gotten more cuts and bruises which the queen had personally looked and treated.</em>
</p><p><br/>
The queen's inner stroll of memories was shattered with a loud clapping sound. When she focused her vision on courtyard she could see the commander had defeated General Anya in a combat and Madi, Aden Woods (Lexa's younger brother), Gaia Pine (Madi's personl guard) General Lincoln, Wells Jaha who had become the head of Jaha Household after his father's death, Josephine Lightbourne (the queen's older brother, Lord of Arkadia Russell Lightbourne's only daughter) and the other soldiers who were watching the combat were clapping while Indra Pine, Captain of the palace guards was watching with a smirk. </p><p>The queen smiled watching them and turned her head to look at her personal guard and the captain of the queensgards Bryne who was walking towards her. She bowed her head to the queen and spoke "It's time for weekly audience your majesty"</p><p>"Inform the crown princess that she's to run the audience today" </p><p>Captain Bryne looked at the queen with a slightly surprised expression but bowed and walked away towards the courtyard. The queen looked on as she approached Madi and the way Madi nodded after hearing the news while Lexa gave her a nod and a very small encouraging smile. The queen got lost in her thoughts again as she thought about how the older girl's smile had been lost for nine years, a cold and stoic mask firmly on her face.</p><p>When she had returned home from her first battle all the nobles had asked her to take position as the commander of Trigeda army. Her uncle Gustus who couldn't be more proud of her had been ready to hand over the title any moment. But she had refused saying it was a position one should get based on ability not birthright. Instead - to everyone's bewilderment - she had asked to hold some meetings with each clan leader, alone. </p><p>A week later - since the queen had firmly commanded her bed rest for a week - she had held her meetings with clan leaders inside the commander's - Lexa's father's - office room. 20 or so candle marks later and clan leaders going in and out of the office Lexa had come to meet the queen with a news that made her literally jump out of her chair from surprise. The queen had been speechless and wide eyed when the girl said calmly and nonchalantly that the clan leaders were ready to peace talks and had agreed to stop attacking each other. After some times when the queen had finally recovered from her shock she had asked Lexa how she did it. But all the queen had gotten was a smile and a shrug. Even after 8 years the queen couldn't still find what the girl had done that day. </p><p>Another year later after long meetings, arguments, misunderstandings and discussions twelve clans were united and Trigeda had become one nation under the Queen Abigail Griffin for the very first time. But everyone, both nobles and civilians, knew it was the late commander Alexander's daughter was the one who truly did that. Civilians had created both songs/stories and romours about her greatness and to Lexa's dismay her cousins, brother and princess Madi had started to tease her about that. When Lexa turned eighteen the queen had requested (read; emotionally blackmailed) her to take the position as the commander but the girl had asked for a tournament where other warriors could also fight for the title. Princess Madi had been so upset about it - even if she was so confident her friend-turned sister was going to win - more than the queen. 24 warriors from each clan had been participated the tournament but in the end Alexandria Woods had won it becoming the youngest and most accomplished commander of the history making the queen proud as she had already started accepting her best friend's daughter as her own.</p><p>Nine years after her husband, king Jacob's death, Trigeda had become one of the most powerful countries which were mainly governed under military rules but was peaceful enough for its people to live without being feared about any inter-clan wars. Its connections with other countries around them had become more strong and they had already started trading goods, resources and services. Southern Islands and the Kingdom of Auroland which was famous for gold were Trigeda's best allies. </p><p>The queen was proud of her country but she knew Lexa was the main reason for it to become where it was today. She looked once more at the stoic brunette who was now fighting with her brother and started walking towards her chambers to get ready for weekly audience thinking about how now was the time for her to take a rest from all of this and make the heir to the crown take her place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~~***~~~</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Charmaine Diyoza, a general of Trigeda army and a minor lady of TonDC was standing infront of a huge building with a huge sign hanging above its main entrance which said 'DropShip'. It was the biggest Gambling House of the country and a famous Inn among higher ranked nobles. She doubted if there were any noble who hadn't visited this building. It belonged to a famous painter known as 'Wanheda' that meant 'The Commander Of Death'. She had gotten her name after burning 30 Trikru soldiers who had attacked a village near Boat Clan and Trikru boader before the clans were united. She had lured those soldiers who had killed children and raped women in that village to a hut using some whores as bait and locked them inside it and had burned them alive. People had given her the name 'Wanheda' after the incident and it had made the commander Gustus to change military rules, adding a new rule that said violation of power as a soldier for crimes was punishable by death. Wanheda was a hero to civilians but no one had seen her face since she always wore a scarf covering her face. Rumors said that she had got burned from that fire but no one knew her name or appearance. Wanheda used to travel all around the country while so many nobles and wealthy merchants hired her to paint thier portraits or other arts for their houses. She had bought Dropship 3 years earlier and turned it to a luxurious inn and a Gambling House. She had a trusted staff for her to run the place when she was travelling but one month earlier she had come back to Polis to stay.</p><p>Lady Diyoza shifted one foot to another while looking at busy city roads clearly waiting for someone. After a while a group of four people approached her. </p><p>Wells Jaha was the first to speak. "Did you invite us to gamble Lady Diyoza?" He asked with a smile.</p><p>"Well I don't mind that. But my husband is so against gambling" Lady Josephine Lightbourne spoke before Lady Diyoza could say anything.</p><p>"Huh...Gabriel would be so upset if he knew what you do whenever he goes to his scholar tours" Lady Octavia Blake stated with a smirk while her brother Lord Bellamy Blake, head of Blake Household chuckled.</p><p>Lady Diyoza shook her head. "No we are not here for gambling. We are here to meet someone. Come on let's go"</p><p>She was very nervous - a very rare occasion for the Lady - but years of practice had made her from showing her emotions on her face. She led the team inside Dropship with so much ease as she knew the building like she knew the route to her home. When they entered the building they met with a large desk in the front of the large ground floor where the man behind the desk gave a nod to the Lady. Whole ground floor of Dropship was its common room which had entirely designed for gambling. To the front left of the room were three tables of dice games and the right front were six smaller tables for board and card games. Some women and men were already occupied with the games while some were gathered around the bar which was on the far right side of the room near a wooden split staircase that started from the middle of the room with wide flight of stairs at the bottom which led to a landing that then separated off into two different flights of stairs going in opposite directions leading to upper floors. Between the staircase and the gambling area they could see eight round tables for eating and drinking with six chairs around each one. There was a mezzanine type of balcony on the second floor allowing people to see the common room freely while a wooden railing protected them from falling. There were four rooms both left and right sides of the common room while second and third floors of the building were all private rooms for special guests. </p><p>Lady Diyoza led the group to a door to the right side of the staircase that led to another two story building behind the gambling house. It was home for the servents of Dropship and a blonde woman of average female height and long braided blonde hair was waiting at the entrance. Her hazel green eyes were shining in the afternoon sunlight and she looked at the group smiling "She is waiting for you my lady"</p><p>Lady Diyoza nodded while others looked at her with confused expressions. "Thank you Niylah"</p><p>Wells Jaha was the first to speak. "Who are we going to meet Lady Diyoza? Wanheda?"</p><p>Lady Josephine Lightbourne gasped as Lady Diyoza gave Wells a nod. </p><p>"Really? I have been wanting to meet her. The painting she had made for my father was amazing and I wanted her to paint a couple portrait for me and Gabriel for our anniversary" She said excitedly.</p><p>"She will definitely do it" Lady Diyoza smiled as Niylah led them through a corridor inside the building. They could see people inside the building; some taking trays of foods and wine jars and goblets from a kitchen area to the main building, some washing clothes near a small well to the right of the building, three children climbing the stairs to the second floor of the building screaming as two ladies ran after them. </p><p>The team kept walking behind Niylah until they reached a door that seemed to a storage room. Another woman, who looked too cheerful with her brown hair and sparkling bown eyes was standing infront of the door. She looked different clad in breeches and a red tunic than the other women they had seen in the building and Niylah, who were all wearing dresses.</p><p>Lady Diyoza smiled as the woman bowed her head in respect to the team. "How are you Raven?"</p><p>The woman, Raven, smiled a brilliant smile and looked at the Lady and her team. "I'm doing well my lady. She's inside"</p><p>Lady Diyoza nodded with a smile and trailed behind two women with her team who led them through the door to a dark storage room. They could see barrels and boxes everywhere scattered around the room with the little light there while the four younger nobles looked confused and suspicious.</p><p>"All right...what exactly are we doing here? Why are we meeting this Wanheda inside a dark room" Lady Octavia stopped walking and questioned Lady Diyoza while her brother nodded, agreeing with her.</p><p>"Trust me" Lady Diyoza put a hand on Lady Octavia's shoulder and said with a calm voice.</p><p>Lord Wells looked at them with furrowed brow but his voice was calm when he spoke. "Let's see what Lady Diyoza has to show us O. I'm sure she must have a good reason for all of this"</p><p>Lady Diyoza smiled at the man gratefully and nodded at Raven and Niylah who had separated from them and were standing at the far corner for the room where darkness was too thick for anyone to see. They bowed at the team and started to remove some barrels and boxes. Then the gestured the team to follow. After reaching the corner where two women were standing they could see nothing except the wooden floor. Raven smirked at the team while Niylah kneeled on the floor. Everyone watched in awe as she grabbed a floorboard making it open like a little door what they assumed to a secret basement. Raven grinned at Lady Diyoza and her team. "Amazing..isn't it? I designed this myself"</p><p>Niylah rolled her eyes as she gestured them to follow her. The team followed her taking few stairs that led into the room. The room was small and lit up by some torches. Small table was cornered to the left , some sketches were pinned to the wall above it. A small bed was placed against the other wall. There were five small chairs near the entrance facing the bed and the table.</p><p>A woman wearing a blue dress, a blue scarf covering her head was stastanding near the table with her back to them. As everyone looked at her she turned. Her face was covered except her eyes and the upper part of her nose. They couldn't see the colour of her eyes but they looked like they were shining, or burning. The woman's right hand was covered in a fingerless glove and she gestured them with it to take the chairs.</p><p>Lady Diyoza nodded taking a chair while Lady Octavia looked at the woman suspiciously. "Are you Wanheda?"</p><p>The woman's eyes seemed to catch on fire as she nodded. "Yes O. I am. And I have something to tell you all"</p><p>Lady Diyoza smirked from her chair as she looked at four younger nobles whose eyes were wide looking at the woman with shock as the woman addressed Lady Octavia by her nickname. Her voice was raspy and it clashed onto the walls of the small room with so much commanding power. Lady Diyoza could see her subordinate's jaw dropping and others mimicking her expressions.</p><p>The woman, Wanheda's eyes softened as she looked at four younger nobles. "How are you O, Wells, Josie, Bell?"</p><p>Lady Diyoza's gaze stopped on Lady Josephine who gasped loudly at that, knowing exactly that there were only two people in the world who called her that nickname. One was princess Madi and the other one...</p><p>The woman, Wanheda took a step towards the still standing younger nobles while she took off her scarf revealing her golden hair. Lady Diyoza was used to the sight of her face but she could hear few gasps. Lady Octavia and Lady Josephine were covering their mouths while Lord Wells and Lord Bellamy were looking at the woman with wide eyes. Lady Diyoza thought how comical it'd look it it wasn't for the seriousness of this situation.</p><p>There was a huge, nasty scar what looked like a burn injury covering the right side of her face. As all people in the room looked at the woman with wide eyes she brought her right hand to her right temple, to the top of the scar and started peeling it off from her face. Another wave of gasps followed the motion as the woman smiled at them.</p><p>Lady Diyoza felt her own gaze soften when she saw Lady Josephine stumbled two steps back and Lord Bellamy held her arm stopping her from falling while she could hear the sword Lady Octavia was holding in her hand slipped onto the ground as she covered her mouth with both hands. Lord Wells was rooted to the floor clutching the sword on his hip tightly as he looked at the woman with piercing eyes.</p><p>Lady Diyoza knew that even the younger nobles had never seen this woman they could recognize her. Anyone who knew this woman's parents could notice the undeniable resemblance between them and her. Lady Diyoza kept looking as the woman took the glove covered her hand off and peeled another scar off from her wrist revealing an ink mark. It looked like a lion on its hind legs, but it had a beak of an eagle and wings. Any citizen of Trigeda could recognize that symbol anywhere.</p><p>Lady Diyoza stood from her chair as she saw Lady Josephine going limp in Lord Bellamy's arms collapsing to the floor while Lady Octavia let out a loud gasp taking a step back and holding a chair. Lord Bellamy, while holding Lady Josephine on the ground looked up up at the woman. His mouth opened and closed like a fish but no words came out as he kept looking at her with eyes shining with tears.</p><p>Lord Wells was the first one to react. His grip on the sword loosened as he took a step towards the woman reaching his hand to touch her, like he wanted to make sure she is actually there, standing before him. But he retreated his hand and shook his head as if to clear his vision. He opened his mouth but his voice was lost. The well built man looked so much like a child to Lady Diyoza at that moment, looking at the woman like she's something he had heard in fairly tales and legends. He cleared his throat finding his voice. But when he finally found it only one word came out of his mouth.</p><p><br/>
"<strong>Clarke</strong>?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke Griffin, queen Abigail Griffin and late king Jacob Griffin's eldest daughter, true heir to the Trigedian throne, stood in the middle of a small secret room under the ground of Dropship, frozen and wide eyed. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she looked at her cousins and friends trying to contain all the emotions swirling inside her heart making it swell. Just because of nine years of practice and control she was able to hold back her tears and her thumping heart. She wanted to reach them, touch them, hug them and ask them million questions; but she controlled all of that urges since she didn't know where exactly she stood in their lives anymore. She clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at them again.</p><p>Josie, her younger cousin was collapsed on the floor in Bellamy's arms while her best friend Octavia was holding a chair and kneeling on the floor as she cried. Her other cousin and the closest person she had to a brother, Wells stood before her looking at her like she's some kind of a dream. And he finally whispered her name all the tears that were ready to invade her eyes flowed freely along her cheeks.</p><p>"It's me Wells. I'm here" her voice was croaked as she took a step towards Wells.<br/>He lifted his hand again. This time he touched her arm slowly and slightly with his fingers as though he was scared and Clarke couldn't control herself anymore. She jumped and hugged him tightly resting her head on his broad chest letting her tears course down. She felt his arms around her, hesitant first and strong next, clutching her onto his chest. </p><p>"Clarke" he whispered again. His voice shaking. </p><p>"Yeah. It's me"</p><p>She didn't get to stay in his embrace for a long. She heard Octavia's desperate sound of her name and when she turned towards the voice she was trapped in a death grip as her friend all but slammed into her. </p><p>"It's okay O. It's okay" she croaked while caressing the younger girl's hair as she sobbed. It took sometime for Octavia to release her seemingly not wanting to let go of her friend she had found after nine years.</p><p>When her friend released Clarke kneeled on the floor near her cousin who was trying to control her sobs. She took Josie's hands in hers and felt them tremble.</p><p>"Hey Josie. You alright?"</p><p>Instead of a reply all Clarke got was a tight embrace and a constant whisper of name onto her chest where Josephine had nestled her head. Her cousin was a strong warrior. But watching her sobbing like a child made Clarke's heart ache. She kissed the top of her head muttering the words of reassurance until the girl set her free.</p><p>When she got up from the floor with Josephine she was tackled into another tight embrace by Bellamy. Her other best friend who were always had her back whenever she needed. His eyes were so red as some tears still lingering on his cheeks. Clarke held him tightly grateful that she could meet and hold all of them again.</p><p><br/>~~~***~~~</p><p><br/>After a while Clarke took her seat on the small bed while others sat on chairs. She gestured Niylah and Raven to come and sit but they shook their head and stood at the entrance.</p><p>Everyone was looking at her and she knew what they wanted to ask. She knew what kind of questions they had and she knew they were afraid of asking them as they knew her temper. She sighed and started giving answers before the questions.</p><p>"I know what you all are thinking and I have no intention or energy to beet around the bush"</p><p>She looked at all of them in the eye and started the story which held all the answers to 'why's and 'how's.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>9 years earlier (The day of the tragedy)</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Father, can we ride a little further. I want to see deers" </p><p>A fourteen years old crown princess asked her father as he helped her to mount her horse. He chuckled at the question and nodded his head commanding his soldiers to stay behind. </p><p>"We can see the sunset if you want. It's beautiful from here"</p><p>Princess' eyes lit up and she bounced on her horse. The king shook his head as he tightened the belt - which he had commanded the stable keeper to make for his daughter's horse securing her more firmly to the horse and keeping her from falling - around the horse's stomach that went over the thighs of the princess.</p><p>Clarke rolled her eyes at his overprotective actions as they started to ride towards the forest. </p><p>"It would be great if Wells was here" she sighed dramatically as she missed her cousin. </p><p>Thelonious Jaha, her uncle who was riding behind them chuckled. "But you are the one who demanded him to rest your majesty"</p><p>"Well his ankle is sprained uncle Jaha. My mother would not be pleased if I took him with us"</p><p>"We could have brought Lexa with us" her father said before her uncle could answer.</p><p><em>Lexa</em>. Mere name of the stoic older girl was enough to change the mood of the princess as she felt some uncomfortable sensation run down her spine. Clarke scoffed and her father looked at her with raised eyebrows. </p><p>"What?" She asked with a grumpy voice.</p><p>"You know she's going to be at your side all the time from next week right?" The king replied with a smirk on his face.</p><p>Clarke's expressions darkened. "Yeah. You don't listen to me father. Why can't I have someone <em>I</em> want as my guard?"</p><p>"Lexa has kind of a birthright to it you know. Four generations of Woods had been the commanders to Griffins"</p><p>"But she's not just a Woods" Clarke murmured hoping her father wouldn't hear. But when he looked at her with a hard expression she knew she was not successful enough.</p><p>"She is a Woods. Daughter to the best Woods I know. Her being heir to the Azgadian throne makes her stronger and better. She will be one of the greatest warriors of all time. It's in her blood" her father's voice filled with confident and Clarke had no doubt his words were true but that didn't mean she could trust the girl suddenly. It's true that she saved her yesterday when she fell into the river, losing her necklace with a wooden pendant with her name on it to the waves. Her mother told her last night that it was a gift from Lexa's mother and Clarke had even felt bad for a moment. So she had made another necklace and was hoping to send it with an apology letter to Lexa tonight. <em>But that didn't mean she's ready to trust Lexa. Who knew what kind of person she really is. She had Azgadian blood inside her. Even if her mother, crown princess Victoria is the kindest woman Clarke had ever seen Lexa was so cold, stoic and distance. She always tried to show her knowledge and degrade Clarke whenever they had lessons together. She didn't respect Clarke like others, dididn't bow an inch lower than propriety. Unlike others she always challenged Clarke giving some taunting remarks every time she could with an infuriatingly stoic mask firmly on her face. Clarke envied her confident and the aura she possessed that demanded respect everywhere she went even if Clarke was higher in noble ranks than her in Trigeda. Clarke envied the people who had Lexa's attention, like Cos-</em></p><p>Clarke shook her head to chase the voice inside her head that always gave commentary - whenever she thought about Lexa - away. She really didn't know why she didn't like Lexa so much and was afraid to find it out. She was the crown princess to her country and she had a duty to her people. Lexa was a dangerous territory she didn't dare to step on. <em>She wouldn't. She couldn't</em>.</p><p>Inner battle of the princess broke as she noticed her father watching her with an unreadable expression on his face and she raised her own eyebrows at him. "What?"</p><p>"Have you ever heard her parents' love story? There are some songs and stories about it"</p><p>"I heard some from Josie and O. It said they were enemies first and the commander had fallen in love with the crown princess the moment he saw her"</p><p>"Well it's half true. They were not enemies and Alex told me that it was a love at first fight for him" Her father laughed making a small smile grace on her lips too.</p><p>"Why is that?" Clarke was curious.</p><p>"When we went to Azgada for peace talks with my father,long before I became the king, Alexander left alone to explore king Zoran's palace. He had seen princess Victoria training with some soldiers and had been watching her hiding behind a tree. But suddenly the princess had disappeared and when he came out to search for her he had found her behind him, pressing her sword to his neck"</p><p>"And he fell in love in that moment?"</p><p>"Not in that moment, but he told me that he had felt something in that moment. He said that even if she was pressing a sword to his neck he hadn't felt afraid. Instead he had felt a strange urge to surrender to her. I laughed at him when he told me because he was not someone who ever thought about surrendering. It was a word he didn't know. But when they got married and she gave up her position I knew it was true love"</p><p>"Like yours and mother's" Clarke looked at her father with a fond smile as he nodded his head with a grin.</p><p>"You know what he had told her when she was holding a sword to his neck?"</p><p>Clarke shook her head.</p><p>"He had said that her grip on the sword was not firm and he could still disarm her" her father laughed as Clarke's eyes went wide.</p><p>"That's what Lexa told me" She was too late to hold back her words. Her father looked at her with wide eyes.</p><p>"Is it true then. You put a knife on Lexa's throat? Clarke that was unacceptable. Did you apologize to her?"</p><p>"I..Well..I was goin-" her reply was cut off as her father gestured her to stop talking while the soldiers and General Jaha looked around suspiciously. Clarke couldn't see or hear anything but suddenly arrows flew from the forest making the soldiers around them down. She looked at her father with wide and fearful eyes. He hurriedly removed his coat where his royal crest was firmly attached and put it around Clarke's shoulders. Then he looked at her eyes with his kind eyes determined and firm.</p><p>"Clarke. Go. Run. Go"</p><p>"No father" She protested. She didn't want to leave. She could not leave. As she tried to speak again she saw few horses emerge from the trees, riders wearing all black, bows and arrows in the hands of some while the others were armed in swords. Her father looked at her again, urgently and desperately. </p><p>"Clarke. Go. Please."</p><p>"I love you father" Clarke didn't know why she said it. She always was a father's child but after a certain age she didn't always express her love for him. But in that uncertain moment she felt an uncontrollable urge to say it loudly as tears of fear and understanding stung her eyes. Her father smiled one of his beautiful smiles that made him so handsome as he nodded.</p><p>"I love you too..now GO"</p><p>It was like her horse understood what her father said more than her as it started running full force along the small path and she heard a voice behind her "Emerson, the princess"</p><p>"Yes my lord" Clarke heard someone reply and she felt more than heard the sound of horses behind her. </p><p>After a while her horse reached a cliff, the end of the path where there was an opening area without any trees. She turned around and saw four men on horses who she assumed were her followers. They had stopped at the tree line not coming out to the open area. The one in the front signaled the others to stop holding up his hand and Clarke tried to turn her horse somewhere but soon realized that she didn't have anywhere to go. She looked at the men with wide eyes but her head high, for some reason she didn't want to look weak as she saw the man in the front who she assumed was Emerson took his bow and aim to her. She could see an ink mark on his forearm which looked like a cross wrapped in some ropes or strings. His eyes was blue and his hair was blonde. His face was covered in a black scarf as he took his aim sitting on his horse few yards away from her. </p><p>Clarke looked at them with fire in her eyes locking her unwavering gaze on Emerson as he started to release his arrow. She tightened her left hand on her father's crest on his coat that was wrapped around her like a safety blanket and her other hand tightened her hold on reins. Emerson looked at her as her eyes burned with hatred and instead of aiming on her he released her arrow aiming at the horse. Clarke's horse stumbled backwards stopping just an inch away from the cliff edge but Emerson had already taken an another arrow out. He released it and it pierced through the horse's neck making it fall down the cliff taking Clarke with it. </p><p>Clarke wiggled on the horse as it kept falling down and down to no avail. When it hit the river and the rocks at the bottom Clarke felt herself drowning with the horse. Once they come out the water she felt her head bumped on a hard surface making everything go black.</p><p><br/>~~~***~~~</p><p><br/>Clarke looked around the room as she finished her story. She saw the way Josie and Octavia were wiping their fierce eyes and the way Wells and Bellamy were clutching their swords tightly jaws clenched.</p><p>She looked at Raven and Niylah silently inviting them to tell their parts of the story. Niylah was the first to start.</p><p>"When Raven and I were taking our daily bathing that evening we saw her majesty and the horse trapped between two rocks. She was unconscious but because of the horse she was alive. She had fell on the horse and that belt attached her to the horse had saved her life."</p><p>"We usually used the upper part of the river because I didn't want anyone to see my damaged leg. So no one was around when we found her" Raven joined and raised her brows at Clarke's friends when they looked at her leg. Clarke knew she didn't like people looking at her leg so she gathered the attention to herself again.</p><p>"Raven and Niylah were servants at Lady Diyoza's household that time and I had been driven all the way to TonDC by the force of the waves of Ouska river"</p><p>"They had recognized her clothes and specially the crest of his majesty so Raven came to me that day while Niylah stayed with her majesty. I went there immediately and Niylah tried some first aids but that didn't help. At night I brought her majesty to my home secretly as I knew something was wrong. She gained consciousness next evening but the news of his majesty's demise had already reached TonDC" Lady Diyoza added her part of the story.</p><p>"But why didn't you come back to the palace Clarke? We could have caught those traitors" Octavia asked the exact question Clarke was hoping they'd ask her.</p><p>"When I woke up that evening my father was no more and I was dead as well. But long before the news reach TondC the rumours had reached about the king backstabbing his friend and brother in law" Clarke looked at Wells as she said it and saw his jaw clenched.</p><p>"All know that's not true Clarke. People have already forgot about it. They have and will always love his majesty" Wells's voice was firm.</p><p>"I know. But whoever planned all of that had already spread the rumours long before the news of our deaths. That meant those people were at TonDC after killing my father and uncle Jaha. And there was a lord there. Even if I came back they'd have already hidden all the proofs and those people. I still don't know who that lord is. He could have hired some assassins or used his own men and even if I commanded to find them he could have enlisted them to army or killed them. So I decided to find this Emerson alone with the help of Lady Diyoza" Clarke looked at Lady Diyoza with a grateful look.</p><p>"I didn't want her majesty to do that but when she narrated her points I thought she didn't have another choice. There's a traitor still out there amongst the nobles and it was the best way to find him" Lady Diyoza replied.</p><p>"I took this new identity as Wanheda after that fire incident and it was easy to go to nobles since no one could recognize me"</p><p>Clarke could see Octavia's eyes lit up at the mention of the fire incident and knew exactly what she's going to ask.</p><p>"Yes O. I really did burn them" </p><p>"Gods. I always thought it was amazing. Well done Clarke. Well done" Octavia squealed while others shook heads.</p><p>"So was it really you who painted that portrait for my father" Josephine suddenly asked with a gasp and wide eyes.</p><p>Clarke's eyes soften as she remembered the moment she spoke with her uncle and aunt after eight long years. The way she fought tears when he praised her talent.</p><p>"Yes I did it and it was the hardest thing I had to do in a long time, but it also helped me to gain control over my emotions. Otherwise I'd have broken already after seeing you all today" She smiled through tears as her friends looked at her with fond looks.</p><p>"What about us? Were you watching us secretly too?" Octavia raised a brow at her.</p><p>Clarke wanted to chuckle but it came out more like a groan. "No. I didn't spy  on you. But I saw everyone at last spring festival of Polis. I was there"</p><p>Clarke knew the question everyone was expecting for her to ask from them. She wanted to, oh how much did she want to. But as much as she wanted, she also tried to ignore all those questions untill the very last moment as she knew it was going to break her how much she didn't want to break.</p><p>Clarke could see the way everyone looked at her with gentle eyes and so much love. She had missed those looks. She had missed that love. She had missed her family and friends. </p><p>"So why suddenly did you decide to tell us the truth? And why us and not anyone else? It's because you found that Emerson?" Bellamy asked and Clarke could hear hatred clearly in his voice at the last part. She knew that hatred. She felt it in her bones. She'd been living it all those years.</p><p>"No. I travelled all the clans and I have visited almost all the houses of all the lords and ladies and I found seven Emersons in the last nine years but none of them were him. I have made his sketches from my memories and I have tried all the designs resembled his ink mark but I still couldn't find him" Clarke felt the familiar burning of revenge pooling inside her heart as she continued.</p><p>"Polis is the only place I haven't completely searched and there are some nobles I still couldn't reach. It seemed like I couldn't do it alone anymore. So I decided to ask for help and you are the people I trust the most. That's why I asked Lady Diyoza to bring you here" </p><p>Octavia got up from her chair and hugged Clarke tightly sitting on the bed with her and Clarke sank into her warmth feeling like home.</p><p>"We are always there for you Clarke. Just tell us what to do" Bellamy voiced the sentiment his sister tried to convey with that hug.<br/>Clarke broke the hug and looked at her friends.</p><p>"I want you to help me to find this man. You are closer to the higher ranked nobles than me. So find if there's someone named Emerson in guards or Army of Trikru, Glowing Forest, Blue Cliff, Mount Weather, Boat Clan and Great Lakes" Clarke looked at Josephine with an apologetic look because her husband Lord Gabriel Santiago was the heir to the Great Lakes. Clarke knew his family but she couldn't trust anyone. But to her relief she saw the calm expression of understanding wash over Josie's face.</p><p>"I trust Gabriel with all my life. But I can't say the same about the other lords so I will definitely do it" She said with a smile as Clarke nodded gratefully.</p><p>"I just want to take revenge for my father and those eight innocent soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us" Clarke said with a voice of steel.</p><p>"What do you mean by eight soldiers? There were only seven" Wells asked with a furrowed brow and Clarke started at him dumbfounded. She clearly remembered that they had eight soldiers following them that day, even in the moment of attack.</p><p>"No there were eight soldiers. I remember clearly"</p><p>"But we only found seven corpses Clarke. It's even on the records of that day." Bellamy said with a frown and Clarke's heart started to beat faster. That was something she didn't know. If there's only seven corpses one soldier could have escaped. <em>But why didn't he reach the palace to inform about the attack. He must have heard something the attackers talked if he was alive. May be the attackers had taken him and killed him in the middle of the forest? But there was no signs. </em></p><p>Clarke's inner battle came to a stop when Wells put a hand on her shoulder. "I will personally look into it Clarke. It could be some kind of misunderstanding, but if it's not, them I'm going to find the truth. So don't worry. We are here now"</p><p>Clarke wanted to cry again. But instead she buried her face in his chest as he hugged her back. She felt all the resolution she possessed over nine years trembles as she felt all the love and support of her family. Her loved ones.</p><p>"He is right Clarke. We are here now. So share some of your burdens with us too. We will find the truth no matter what." Bellamy put her hand on her head as he caressed her golden hair.</p><p>She lifted her head from Wells's chest before looking at everyone in the room. Octavia and Josephine were nodding their heads along with Lady Diyoza while Niylah and Raven were smiling fondly at them. <em>This is my team. My people. And I am going to find what really happened that day.</em> She thought with a determination burning in her eyes.</p><p>"By the way Clarke, how did you manage to make your burn scars look so real?" Josephine's voice was filled with awe and curiosity.</p><p>But before Clarke could answer she could hear Raven's voice.</p><p>"That was all my doing my Lady.." at Niylah's raised eyebrow she added "..and Niylah's. I mean Niylah and I made it."</p><p>Clarke shook her head at Raven's actions before explaining the mystery of her scars. </p><p>"Niylah came up with the idea after that fire. I was not okay with it first. But after meeting some nobles in that disguise I realized how helpful it was. No one suspected a thing as they believed I got them that day"</p><p>"But how did you make them?" Josephine's question was for Niylah and Raven. </p><p>"It's a mixture of wax, glue and honey. It lasts at least three days before she needs to change" It was Niylah who answered.</p><p>"Honey?" Octavia's voice was high pitched.</p><p>"Yes My Lady. It gives a convincing and real look." Niylah replied.</p><p>"But how did you manage to create it in the same shape. I mean what of someone notices its shape is changed?" Josephine asked Clarke.</p><p>Clarke smirked looking at Raven. "Raven made a mold for it. It's like making armours you know."</p><p>"Yes my lords...and ladies. First we make the paste and then we put it into the mold untill it hardens enough for Wanheda to wear" Raven explained before Clarke could.</p><p>"As you could see before, tip of the mask always aligns with the corner of her rigt eyebrow. That does the trick for the mask to always look same..And it was me who came up with that idea by the way" She added with a smirk.</p><p>Clarke rolled her eyes fondly. "Yes she came up with all that even though the mask was Niylah's idea. Just in case you haven't noticed Raven is a genius. She deserves to be in the Royal engineering regiment" She paused dramatically holding her right hand like she's introducing Raven to the royal court. "As the head engineer"</p><p>Clarke winked at Raven, who frowned while Niylah snorted. She could see the way her old friends looked at their interaction and knew exactly what they were thinking. The crown princess - <em>Former crown princess,</em> she reminded herself quickly - of the country teasing and joking with some servants or commoners was not a sight her friends were used to. She definitely had a good relationship with her servants and handmaidens in the past but always with a limit. But now those two particular common girls had become her closest allies, best friends and strongest support over the past years. She was as comfortable with them as she was with her childhood friends and she wanted them to understand that and the way they were watching her, Raven and Niylah Clarke knew they did.</p><p>"So Clarke do the servants of the Dropship know who you are too?" Josephine asked with raised eyebrows.</p><p>"No they don't. They know me as Wanheda and they think my name is Beth" To Clarke's annoyance as always Octavia snorted at that while she added. "When I had to give a name to some of the lords I went with it and Raven's last name Rayes"</p><p>"Beth? Really? You hated that name" Bellamy looked at her with his own smirk.</p><p>Clarke knew they were going to make fun of her name. Elizabeth was her grandmother's name and her mother had wanted to name her after her but her father had liked the name 'Clarke' saying it's more strong name for his first child and heir to the throne. But when she had to think of a new name for her new character she had not been able to think of anything else suddenly so she had gone with Beth. A short version of Elizabeth.<br/>After recovering her embarrassment under the smug gazes of her childhood friends she could see the way they all of them were looking at her with the same look on each one's face. As though they were expecting Clarke to ask the most awaited questions. The same questions she wanted to ignore as much as possible fearing the impending emotional breakdown.</p><p>Clarke knew she couldn't wait any longer. Everyone was looking at her. Expectantly. Patiently. Understandably. And her heart was beating erratically while her mind was screaming to shoot all the questions she wanted to ask, all the things she wanted to know, at her friends. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to calm down the hurricane of emotions inside her curling her fingers into fists.</p><p>"Hh..How are they?" She whispered with closed eyes, tears stinging her eyelids and trying to push them back.</p><p>"They miss you. Everyday." Wells's voice made her eyes shot open two tears losing the battle with her will to stay inside her eyes.</p><p>Clarke could see the way others were looking at Wells as if he was insane. But Octavia and Josephine had understanding in their eyes. Wells knew Clarke the most. He was more of a brother to her than a cousin. He was her best friend. Her safe place to share her true feelings and fears. He knew Clarke always wanted to know the hardest and saddest news first, because then she would at least have something good to console her heart in the end. So whenever she got any news in the past, whether it was about the battles between clans or her father cancelling their leisure time together offering another options to make a angry princess happy, Clarke always wanted to know the worst news first. So when Wells told her the news that literally broke her heart, she accepted it, slumping down on the bed and holding its frame until her knuckles turned red. Until the stinging sensation of her eyes went away.</p><p>A parade of faces appeared behind Clarke's eyelids. Her mother, with her kind eyes and that expression she always had when Clarke was caught doing something she was not supposed to, her little ten year old sister, with her sparkling eyes and beaming smile lightning her whole world, her father with his sharp blue eyes and kind smile looking at her with so much love. All those faces of her beautiful once perfect family started to go on circles faster and faster making Clarke's head spin. After what felt like hours of that parade she opened her eyes.</p><p>Everyone was silent as if they were afraid to say a word that could break Clarke more. Wells was sitting before the bed looking down at her with most tender eyes while Octavia was holding Bellamy's hand as though she was trying to hold him back and Clarke understood that he must have tried to come closer to hold her when she was in her inner parade of faces and Octavia must have stopped him from doing so. Bellamy was a very good friend, a trusted ally. But sometimes he didn't understand the concept of wanting to spend some time alone when she felt sad or angry. In the past whenever she was upset he always tried to comfort her by coming into her room even when she forbade anyone from doing so. She knew he meant well but sometimes it annoyed her a bit. So she was thankful to Octavia for holding him back.</p><p>"And...?" She questioned looking directly at Wells's eyes.</p><p>"They both are doing good. They are so close now. Closer than ever" </p><p>Clarke closed her eyes again. Both daughters of the queen Abigail had always been father's princesses. They loved to spend time with him, play with him, ride horses with him always ignoring the queen's requests of medical lessons. And Clarke knew both her father's and her disappearance from their lives must have been so hard on them. So she was glad to know that they were closer to each other, being each others strength and support.</p><p>"Abby doesn't isolate herself from everyone else now. She smiles more" Bellamy said with a small smile.</p><p>"And Madi has become a beautiful young Lady. Have you...have you seen her?" Octavia's voice was hesitant.</p><p>Clarke shook her head new tears threatening her eyes. "I did see her and mother from far away at last summer festivals. She was tall. I think she might be taller than me you know" </p><p>Clarke remembered that day clearly. After convincing herself million times she had finally decided to attend the summer festivals of Polis last year just to see the two women that mattered the most, standing at the royal ground where the festivals usually held, as far away as possible from the stage where the queen and the crown princess - her mother and her sister - were sitting. She had kept looking at them with unshed tears, listened to her mother's speech those tears trailing down freely and then left quickly before even the festivals truly started. That night for the first time after eight dark and long years Clarke had tried to draw the two faces she remembered failing miserably and ripping up the papers into tatters falling onto knees and crying like a child, all the sorrows of eight years taking place inside her heart at once.</p><p>Clarke shook her head, blinking rapidly trying to focus on her friends and that's when she realized that Josephine had sat down on the bed beside her with her hand in hers and looking at her with tears in her own eyes as if she knew what Clarke was feeling. Clarke thought maybe she did. They were related after all. Clarke laid her head on her shoulder and looked at Wells again expecting something more. It was like some kind of bittersweet wine and she wanted to drink more and more.</p><p>"Madi takes training everyday you know and she runs audiences now. She's great" Octavia is the one answered her look.</p><p>"Of course she is. I join the audiences whenever I am in Polis and she is a visionary. She approaches the matters carefully and thoroughly. She listens to people and that's a quality you didn't have" Wells smirked making a chuckle leave Clarke's still burning throat.</p><p>"But she always complains about her personal guards. Just like you" Bellamy joined the conversation.</p><p>"Why? She didn't have any problems with them before" Clarke frowned.</p><p>"Yeah well for the starters she was not the crown princess then" Josephine looked at her carefully scanning her face and Clarke knew what she was searching for and also knew that she was not going to find it. Because the only emotion regarding her former title was the guilt she felt about suddenly destroying her little sister's childhood. In the past whenever she had a hard time with all the lessons of history and law or various other trainings, only thing that made her feel good was the fact that at least her little sister could get the carefree - as much as a princess could get - childhood she deserved.</p><p>"And now that she is, she has fifteen guards whenever she goes out and one Black Eagle warrior as her personal guard who follows her literally everywhere" Josephine continued after finishing her search like she had find her answers, with a fond smile on her face.</p><p>Clarke knew the Black Eagle regiment. It was one of the things that made Trigeda so powerful. It was created six years before by the current commander. Only 1200 warriors had got the chance to enter the regiment as it followed a training a mortal can barely complete which some of the strongest warriors had given up after four or five challenges of the training. It contained 40 challenges including climbing the Trikru mountain carrying two weights, learning to survive extreme situations, learning to speak all the languages of the clans, surviving two weeks inside the large Trikru forest without any weapons or food, swimming a mile in the Snake River of Great Lakes, taking medical training. They had their training in each clan making them adapt any kind of weather or environment. They were extremely talented warriors and healers carrying four times the energy and ability of a regular soldier. Some of the generals had also taken the training including general Anya and Lincoln. The commander had been in the first batch of the regiment as she completed the training when she was nineteen. Clarke was partially happy to know that her sister's personal guard was a Black Eagle as it made her safe four times better.</p><p>"Who?" She asked.</p><p>"You remember Gaia Pine?" Josephine replied.</p><p>"Indra's daughter?"</p><p>"Yes. She's one of the best warriors and the champion of her batch" Wells answered. "And the commander has relieved her from all of her duties. Now her only duty is to protect Madi" </p><p>The commander. <em>Lexa</em>. Even after nine long years that mere name could still ignite a buzz inside her stomach and that made Clarke both surprise and uncomfortable and she hated the part of her that was screaming for her to ask more about the brunette. Her childhood rival. The girl who always brought so much anger and frustration out of her with her infuriating behaviour.</p><p>She pushed all that thought away and looked at her friends with a smile. "It's a good thing she always has someone around to protect her. We don't even know how and when a danger can come"</p><p>Clarke could see the way the expressions on everyone's faces changed with that. But she ignored it. She had had enough showing of emotions for the day and she refused to show any weakness anymore. So she gave everyone a reassuring smile as she got up and walked towards the small table.</p><p>"Before I forget I have something to show you all" She said holding up the sketches she had created the day before.</p><p>It took two or three candle marks to discuss about the suspects and culprits of the incident - Clarke giving everyone small sketches of Emerson and his ink mark so they could hide them in their pockets easily - another candle mark to talk about the news of the kingdom, Josephine's marriage to Lord Gabriel Santiago and the way Clarke had been watching the wedding parade hiding behind the crowd which made Josephine cry again, Octavia and Lord Lincoln's love affair and about her mother and sister more when Clarke decided to call it a day.</p><p>Getting ready to leave everyone hugged her again making promises to meet again. Octavia and Bellamy decided to stay at Dropship every weekend when they visited Arkadia instead of the palace and Josephine had already made her mind to come to the Dropship twice a week under the excuse of gambling even if her husband disagreed. </p><p>Just before everyone got out of the room Wells turned to Clarke. "Clarke there is another thing about that day" Under her questioning gaze he continued.</p><p>"That day no one could find the Flaming Star. They had searched everywhere but it was disappeared and no one except some higher ranked nobles know about this. It was something that didn't leak to the public"</p><p>Clarke looked at Wells with wide eyes too shock to form a word. "Flaming Star" was her father's sword made by the strongest steel known to man. A gift from King Zoran of Azgada. When the commander Alexander Woods married the crown princess Anesthesia king Zoran had gifted two swords to the commander one named "The Dark Fire" and the other was ''The Flaming Star". Flaming Star had had a blue stone embedded into the middle of its crossguard and the commander had decided to gift it to his best friend, the king, since blue was the colour of his house. </p><p>Now that this new information about the sword being disappeared caught Clarke off guard. She didn't know what to do with it. But one thing she understood was that whoever had attacked them that day must had known the importance of the sword and abducted it. So if she could find the sword, she would find the culprit. Clarke knew it was a long shot but after nine years of nothing, she was ready to try anything.</p><p>"Thank you Wells. I will think about it" </p><p>Bellamy, who was looking carefully at the sketches on the way to put them in his pockets looked at Clarke. "Did you search for assassin groups?"</p><p>Clarke shook her head. "They surely were not professional assassins"</p><p>Before Clarke could explain her answer to his raised eyebrows his sister beat her to it.</p><p>"If they were professional assassins that man wouldn't have an ink mark on his forearm because assassins don't get any recognizable marks"</p><p>To Clarke's impressed look she shrugged. "The commander taught us. She gave us a lesson about assassins, combat techniques and spies in my training and it was amazing. She was amazing. It's very hard not listening when she's speaking you know"</p><p>Clarke frowned. Then raised her both eyebrows at her childhood best friend. "Are you sure you are in love with Lincoln, not his cousin?" She was unimpressed. 14 years old Clarke taking place inside her head at the praise Octavia started to gush about her childhood rival.</p><p>"Oh I am so sorry Clarke. I forgot she's your one and only sworn enemy" Octavia bowed her head mockingly making the 14 years old Clarke more angry. </p><p>"Oh Gods. That's why she always said the commander was a cold hearted person whenever I asked about her" Raven chimed in with an unimpressed look of her own. Clarke sighed. If there was any reason Clarke couldn't forget about her childhood rival was the fact that everyone around her loved the commander. Their gossiping always revolved around her. Whenever the commander did something big or small like going on a hunt or adjusting her face mask in a parade, all the servants of Dropship sang praises for her. Two of the three children who lived in Dropship Charlotte and Lucas were all but making plans to see the commander. They even had figurine toys of the brunette. All that madness around Clarke sometimes drove her crazy but she couldn't do anything because she didn't want to explain her servants why did she hate the commander so much.</p><p>"Hey. It's all true. She's so cold and stoic and she doesn't know how to speak. Tell them O. Tell them that their great commander speaks only ten words a week" A 14 years old Clarke had permanently taken her place so when everyone looked at her with smirks or raised eyebrows she chased her away blushing slightly.</p><p>"Alright that's enough. We should go now. Thank You Lady Diyoza for bringing them here" She used her most authorized voice and for her surprise it worked. Clarke thought it had to do something to do with the fact that this was the first time after nine years they were hearing it. But when they all started to bow and curtsy murmuring 'your majesty' her resolve broke. Again. </p><p>"Stop it. I am not her anymore. I am just Wanheda now. Don't forget it" She commanded lifting Wells by his broad shoulders but he just shook his head a faint smile on his face.</p><p>"You are always the crown princess Clarke. Now that we are here let's finish this quickly so we can take her back to where she truly belongs"</p><p>Clarke shook her head. She didn't know if she wanted to go back or not. She hadn't even thought about what she's going to do after finding and punishing the murderer of her father and uncle and she certainly didn't want to think all of that now. So she just shook her head looking at them as they all agreed with Wells.</p><p>"We will see that later. Now please help me with just this" she pleaded.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~~</p><p> </p><p>It's been two weeks to the meeting with her friends and last two weeks had been eventful. Wells had come with some surprising information about the lost soldier three days before that said that there had indeed been eight soldiers with them that day but a soldier named 'Dax Hankin' had been disappeared since the incident. After further searching Wells had found that he had taken a month long leave from his duties a week before the incident as his wife was expecting but no one didn't know why had he been on duty that day. Wells had checked the guards records to find if he had been filling for a subordinate but there had been no record of such event. So they decided that this Dax Hankin must have had something to do with the incident. Wells, Lady Diyoza and the Blake siblings had promised Clarke to use everything in their power to search for more information or the man himself but they hadn't got any news making Clarke restless and impatient. </p><p>Octavia and Bellamy had come to stay at Dropship last night and Clarke was sitting in her office room of Dropship thinking about past two weeks, waiting for them to join her for drinks when she heard sounds of a commotion and something breaking from the front desk. Dropship was usually a untroubled place since most of the visitors were nobles who tried to stay calm in every situation even if the truth was that they were unfit for physical fights as they were used to servants and guards doing everything for them. But the sounds Clarke heard were definitely not good so she quickly grabbed the dagger which was tucked away under the belt of her long skirt. After adjusting the scarf firmly around her face covering her scar and face she carefully stepped into the common room of Dropship.</p><p>First thing she noticed was that everyone was standing still wherever they already were in the common room like someone had frozen them on the spot. All of them were looking at three figures standing tall in the middle of the room all covered in black cloaks, its hoods hiding half of their faces. Outlines of swords on their hips could be seeing from where Clarke stood behind them as the hands of the two on either side started to wander to their hilts. Two guardsmen of Dropship came forward from the left of the room towards the three only to stop as the person to the left drew his sword pointing it at them. </p><p>Clarke stood there frozen clutching the dagger tightly as millions of thoughts suddenly filled her mind. Those three cloaked people reminded her that day. That moment when her life completely changed. What if this is them. What if they have found her<em>. She could swear on her life that her friends wouldn't have spilled a word about her existence but somehow those people had found her. But how?</em></p><p>Clarke's inner battle came to a halt as she saw Raven moved from the corner of her eyes her hand holding a knife which she directed at the person to the right. But the man took only one flick of his hand to disarm her and then unsheathing his own sword and pointing it at Raven's throat. Another two guardsmen who were entering from the back door paused with all the other servants of Dropship who were already in the common room looking at Raven. The perosn who was pointing the sword at her must have sensed the importance of the small brunette as he pressed it a little harder to her throat making her lift her hands up surrendering. But then something unexpected happened.</p><p>Blake siblings, who were sitting direct to the person in the middle stood up suddenly hands on the hilts of their swords ready to unsheath them and Clarke thought, for a little moment they still had a chance. But to her dismay they didn't. The perosn in the middle moved in a lightning speed and even before Clarke had time to realize what happened he had turned Octavia and Bellamy around turning their back to him and holding two daggers at their throats and Clarke didn't even see him taking the daggers out.</p><p>But seeing the people that mattered to her in danger made Clarke recover from her shock and fear. She moved. Her movements almost as fast as the perosn of the middle and stood directly behind him and before he or his companions could try she pointed the tip of her dagger to the right side of his neck, pressing it untill she saw a tiny bead of blood. </p><p>"Drop.Your.Weapons" She knew her voice was not raspy anymore. It was gravel and dangerous fueled by the adrenaline she felt pumping in her veins but to her shock all three of them looked like they didn't even hear her, so she pressed the dagger a little more making the blood pool on the man's neck. And his companions reacted to that lowering their swords but the person who had the dagger pressed onto the neck didn't even loose the hold he had on Octavia and Bellamy so Clarke tried again pressing her body against him instead of the dagger. </p><p>"Release.Them" But the person didn't even flinch. Instead his companions started removing their cloaks loosening the knots that secured them by their necks. When they opened the front of their cloaks, common room of Dropship went silent for a moment before a series of gasps and wide eyes broke it, a murmuring sensation following behind. Still focused on the man before her Clarke narrowed her eyes trying to find the reason for this new change and when she directed her gaze at the man to her right whose cloak was already open from the front she felt all the air leaving her lungs.</p><p>A much older Anya Forrester was standing in the middle of the common room, hand still holding her lowered sword, her signature glare firmly on her face sending eye daggers at Clarke. After what felt like hours Clarke slowly turned her head to the left only to see Anya's brother, Octavia's lover Lincoln looking at her hand still pressed on the person before her. The person who slowly started to let go of Blake siblings.</p><p>Clarke's whole body froze as if a bucket of cold water had hit her hardly. She couldn't move, she couldn't react. She couldn't at least form a coherent thought. She stood there her dagger still pressed firmly on the neck of the person whom she tried to understand how the hell was standing in the middle of her new kingdom. Her very own safe place.</p><p>Still in Clarke's grasp the person brought a hand to the knot of the cloak and opened it a much louder series of gasps trailing behind as - Clarke assumed - a boiled leather armour with a very special symbol embroidered into its chest came into view and the Blake siblings who had turned around to see their captor widened their eyes before they kneeled down on one knee, their clenched right fists pressed on the left sides of their chests. A position all the Trigedian soldiers took whenever they were faced with the highest ranking officer of the army bowing their heads saying in a little high pitch voice the word that entered from Clarke's ears and filled all of veins with ice. "<em><strong>Heda</strong></em>" </p><p>The room went silent again for a moment before everyone started to kneel murmuring the same word making the ice inside Clarke freeze more and more. She felt dizzy when the person - the person she had not seen in nine years, the person who was her childhood rival, the person who always infuriated her - turned around to face her, her neck still pressed to the dagger. When she fully turned, now the left side of her neck pressing the dagger she slowly removed her hood uncovering her face and the very little air that had been left inside Clarke's lungs completely went out in the form of a strangled gasp.</p><p>Alexandria Woods, the commander, Heda, <em>𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘢</em> was standing before her after nine years, her face covered with her signature perforated leather face mask, only her eyes on display. <em>Her eyes</em>. Fourteen years old Clarke hated them. Always ignored them as her own eyes were too weak to meet the intense and sharp gaze of them. But Twenty-three years old Clarke found herself trapped in some kind of staring contest with those eyes as her own ones refused to look away like they were hypnotized. Her eyes were still green but a shade or two darker than she remembered. Fourteen years old Clarke had searched for that shade in every palate she had, sometimes mixing colours to make a similar shade but always failing to do so, therefore fourteen years old Clarke hated that colour. But now a tiny voice inside twenty-three years old Clarke stated how beautiful that unique shade of green was and as always she chased that voice away immediately. Another voice inside her said that those green orbs widened a bit when they met her blue ones and fourteen-years old Clarke scoffed at the absurdity of that mere thought.</p><p>The commander was an inch or two taller than Clarke but she felt like she was towering over her making her look so small compared to the commander's proud form and still fourteen-years old Clarke refused to back down, gazing directly at those flashing green eyes. What felt like an uncountable candle marks later Clarke saw the way commander's eyes moved to the left side eyeing the dagger still pressed to her neck and Clarke quickly removed it breaking herself from the hypnotized trance she was trapped in and taking a step back. From the corner of her eyes she could see the people had already gotten up from their kneeling positions and she wondered how long she had been in that trance, and when she directed her gaze again at the commander, she was still looking at her with furrowed eyebrows. Then after nine years Alexandria - Lexa - Woods spoke to her.</p><p>"You are the one who burned thirty people alive?" </p><p>Thirty <em>people</em>. She didn't say warriors or soldiers. She said people as if she didn't count them as soldiers making Clarke widen her eyes a fraction realising that the commander despised those criminals and asked that question more like some kind of confirmation and not of an accusation. But instead of giving the commander what she sought, a fourteen-years old Clarke again took place inside her and decided to dig a grave for twenty-three years old Clarke replying the commander with her own eyebrow raising.</p><p>"You are the one who couldn't stop your own soldiers from doing something horrible"</p><p>Twenty-three years old Clarke heard the sensation of gasps, increased few level higher this time and quickly took her place again grasping last strands of self control she had. She knew it was low, even for fourteen-years old Clarke, so she shook her head slowly and lowered her eyes to the ground showing some kind of respect. She thought if the commander bought her act and when she finally lifted her eyes a little to look at her, she knew that the brunette saw right through her. But instead of saying anything about it she gestured Anya with her head.</p><p>"We are not here for a fight. We are looking for a criminal" Anya's voice was sharp. Sharper than Clarke remembered and when she turned her eyes at the older woman she saw her looking at Clarke with a mixture of hatred and..<em>was that amusement</em>?? <br/>But before Clarke could analyse Anya's expressions sounds of footsteps could be heard from the back of the room. Each eyes of the room looked at the bar and found a man running towards the staircase which led into upper floors. The man was fast as he crossed the wide flight of stairs at the bottom and the right side of the wooden split staircase in a lightning speed flying to the second floor. </p><p>Before anyone could understand what was happening the commander darted forward like an arrow leaving its bow, jumping on the table before her and threw her cloak away, her wild and braided brunette hair swaying freely, her dark brown boiled leather armour and the dark green undershirt full on display making her look the absolute warrior she waw. She jumped another three tables towards the right wall of the room and then up and to the air dropping Clarke's and everyone's jaws in the process. The brunette got a hold of the wooden railing of the second floor with her right hand and swung her body over it landing on the mezzanine balcony with ease and for a moment Clarke was glad the walls of the common room of Dropship were not higher than eight feet, allowing the commander to do her stunts without harming herself. But Clarke's thoughts of the walls came to a stop when the commander kicked the door of the room that man had just entered and locked, using her left foot, bursting it open and breaking it doing so. And again a fourteen-years old Clarke possessed the twenty-three years old Clarke at the commander's way of doing things carelessly and forcefully. She fumed clenching her hands when the commander threw the man over the railing to the common room floor breaking a table. Anya was there in seconds already holding the man by his neck in a death grip.</p><p>A loud round of applaud rang when the commander started to descended the stairs - <em>and now she's using the stairs;</em> fourteen-years old Clarke scoffed - coolly and calmly hands clasped behind her back. Clarke's eyes widened when she saw the brunette continued her pace towards the front door of Dropship as if nothing happened and allowed the fourteen-years old Clarke to take place again, willingly; this time.</p><p>"STOP" Her voice was a mixture of fourteen-years old Clarke and Wanheda who always was a stubborn and free spirit. A deadly combination. And as though the commander sensed that she stopped two or three feet ahead of Clarke, her back to her, making Lincoln and Anya who was dragging the half conscious man stopping too.</p><p>The commander slowly turned and walked towards Clarke, her steps heavy and dangerous. When she reached her raising an eyebrow again Clarke furrowed her own.</p><p>"You broke a table and a door. You have to pay for it commander" Wanheda and fourteen-years old Clarke spat making the commander narrow her eyes. <em>She must be clenching her jaw</em>. Fourteen-years old Clarke thought with a smirk, hidden behind her scarf.</p><p>The commander turned her head towards Lincoln who was standing few feet away from them. <em>Right. She's going to ask him to pay. Like always.</em></p><p>"Not him. You broke them and <em>you</em> have to pay" Out of the corner of her left eye she could see Raven face palming and the gasps and murmurs filled the air around them. Again. But the combination of the fourteen-years old Clarke and Wanheda refused to back down. Again.</p><p>"I don't carry money" The commander's voice was sharp and cold.</p><p>"Then you can come and give your compensation tomorrow. We can't keep our doors and tables broken for a long time here since we have a business to run. I hope you can understand. Commander" She bowed her head hiding her smirk and when she raised her head she could see the green orbs of the brunette practically oozed fire.</p><p>"Very well. Wanheda" She nodded before turning around and walking out the front door, her posture perfectly still and head held higher.</p><p>Twenty-three years old Clarke stood again in the middle of the common room, Wanheda and fourteen-years old Clarke leaving her mind and finally coming to a realization what she had just done and she closed her eyes tightly and hoping it all to be just a dream when she opened them. But when she finally opened her eyes feeling a hand on her shoulder everything looked more real. Broken door and the table and the people who were still looking at her with wide eyes making it all more and more real.</p><p>She turned her head to find Raven besides her. Harper, Niylah and Jasper few feet behind. </p><p>"Are you okay Wanheda?" She nodded slowly at Raven's question and looked around to see Octavia and Bellamy entering the common room from the front door. She didn't even notice them leaving. They stopped near her and looked at her carefully as if they were searching for injury. <em>Well, I could almost get them</em>. She thought with a sigh.</p><p>"Wanheda can we talk to you?" Octavia came to her rescue and she nodded urgently gesturing them to follow her.</p><p>When they were safely inside the secret basement Octavia locked the door looking at Clarke with wide eyes.</p><p>"What the hell was that?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Octavia scoffed. "You are not her enemy now and she doesn't even know this new you. Didn't you want to keep it that way?"</p><p>"I know okay" Clarke hid her face in both hands sitting on the bed and placing her elbows on her knees. How could she make them understand her inner battle of fourteen-years old Clarke and Wanheda against twenty-three years old Clarke. "I don't know what happened. She was there and..and like always she was infuriating and I couldn't stop myself. I will be more careful O. I promise"</p><p>"You don't have to promise me Clarke. This is not my mission"</p><p>Clarke knew that. She understood that. But Lexa was something that had the ability to catch her off guard. She always had been; but she didn't want to explain it to her friends so then and there Clarke decided to stay as far away as possible from the brunette to her own safety.</p><p>"Why was the commander here anyway" Clarke didn't even notice Niylah untill she heard her voice.</p><p>"Didn't you hear? She came after a criminal and how brilliant she was in catching him. Did you see the way she jumped. Wow" Raven's voice was filled with awe and Clarke scoffed.</p><p>"I asked Lincoln. That man is a merchant and he has raped one of the closest maidservant of Madi last night" </p><p>Clarke's breath hitched hearing her sister's name. "And she came personally to find him?"</p><p>"She loves Madi you know" Octavia murmured softly.</p><p>"Of course I do. One time some Desert Clan lord mistook them for sisters" Clarke rolled her eyes, clearly irritated.</p><p>They stayed at the room a little longer drinking some wine Niylah brought and talking about the unexpected turn of events of the day, Raven expressing her admiration of the commander now and then. Even Niylah looked impressed with her skills to Clarke's annoyance.</p><p>When they finally came to the common room again everyone was already talking about the commander and her wonderful stunt. Servants had been gathered around the bar asking for more details from Jasper and Harper who were present at the moment and 'ooh's and 'woah's surpressed the story from time to time, seven years old Charlotte and nine years old Lucas asking more questions with dreamy expressions on their faces and they cheered when Jasper said that the commander was going to come again to pay for the broken table and door.</p><p>Clarke, who was sitting at a table, both hands on her head and elbows on the table jolted at Jasper's voice, remembering that her nightmare was still not over. She had to see the brunette again. Tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~</p><p> </p><p>A cavalcade of seven people was riding towards the palace of Polis. Two soldiers at the front and another two behind, one of them was dragging a man behind while three people rode in the middle. People were gathered near the main road looking at the rare sight as the commander Woods of Trigedian army drove to the palace with a criminal caught by herself.</p><p>The commander looked at the crowd her eyes gentle and lifted a hand in the form of a salute as they began cheering. When she turned her head from left to right a small stinging sensation stopped her movements, frowning she brought her hand to the neck touched the spot with fingers. When she brought the fingers in front of her face they were covered in red dots of blood bringing back the memories of earlier events. She wiped her fingers on her breeches and held the reins a little tighter.</p><p>Going to Wanheda's gambling house was a sudden move when her soldiers brought the news about the whereabouts of the criminal and along the way she had been informed about the woman who ran the place by Anya and Lincoln but the woman she met had caught her completely off guard and she didn't know how to react to that woman. She was a force of nature fire in her eyes and ice in her voice. <em>Her eyes</em>. Her eyes were the part that disarmed Lexa completely unable to react even when she was aware of the dagger which was pressed against her neck. Those eyes were a shade of blue Lexa had never seen before. What she found more strange was the fact that she felt like she had seen those eyes somewhere but then realized that It was not the eyes but the intensity of them that felt so familiar. Another pair of blue eyes flashed in her mind and Lexa tried to stop herself from comparing those eyes to that woman's eyes who she had just met. It felt like treason, even thinking about comparing them as it was a huge injustice to those pair of eyes in which always held anger and fire for Lexa but still a fifteen years old Lexa always found herself unable to look away and jusr thinking about those lost pair of eyes again evoked a familiar pain inside her chest and she shook her head trying to expel that pain away.</p><p>"Are you ok Heda?" Anya's voice brought her back to reality and she nodded pulling the reins up a little and straightening her upper body more on her horse.</p><p>"Are you thinking about Wanheda?" Lincoln's teasing voice made her frown and she looked at him with a glare that could make any soldier shudder in fear but her cousin just winked.</p><p>"Hey even your names match. Heda and Wanheda"</p><p>"Lincoln" Lexa thought her voice was harsh enough as it made the man raise his both hands in surrender and then immediately holding the reins again stopping the horse wandering.</p><p>"She definitely was one tough rebel. I was impressed when she didn't even flinch under your glare. I remember some soldiers wetting their pants because of it" Her other cousin joined the teasing a smirk on her face and Lexa knew this was something she had to hear at least for a week continuously as she was sure they were going to report today's incident to her brother, princess Madi and the queen. Lexa sighed, thinking about her impending torture.</p><p>"I know anything I'm going to say is not going to stop you two from spreading this news but I want to remind you to stop it until this sinister gets his punishment" She spat the last sentence looking back at the inhuman who destroyed the life of a fifteen years old girl.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~~</p><p><br/>Woods and Forrester siblings and Lord Gustus were having dinner with queen Abigail and crown princess Madi that night at the huge dining hall of the palace of Polis and Lexa had already started getting teased for her iconic encounter with Wanheda. The only reason she listened silently allowing them to have their enjoyment was the crown princess who had been angry and sad all day about the brutal incident her close maidservant faced earlier, was smiling a little again, looking at the commander being teased by her brother and cousins, so Lexa <em>allowed</em> them.</p><p>"I can't believe some Wanheda could put a dagger to the commander's neck. I should have been there. It's too scarce chance to miss" Her brother, Aden said with a smug smile on her face and her cousins agreed providing more details of the incident.</p><p>"I did not freeze when I saw her face and what does that even mean? she was wearing a scarf" The brunette scoffed at Anya who was exaggeraing the scene at some point.</p><p>"Oh my mistake. She didn't freeze your majesty, she just forgot she had a dagger pressed on her neck after seeing that woman" Anya's tone was too smug.</p><p>"Is it true then that her face was burned by the fire?" The queen who was looking at them bickering with a gentle smile asked suddenly.</p><p>"Yes your majesty, Octavia said she has a scar on the right side of her face. She has even seen it" It was Lincoln who answered as Lexa pretended not to pay attention to the news. She didn't see any sign of said scar and she wondered what could be the reason for some rebel like Wanheda decided to show her scar to Octavia, a higher ranking noble. She had heard Wanheda's connections with nobles and how she despised some, so Lexa though Octavia belonged to the first group.</p><p>"By the way I have been searching for a way to contact her for a long time now" Voice of the crown princess broke Lexa's daydream and she cut in, impatiently.</p><p>"Why?" She saw the way everyone stopped what they were doing and looking at her and felt her ears burn slightly.</p><p>"I mean you did not mention anything about it, your majesty?" She tried again glaring at Anya who smirked at her.</p><p>The princess looked at her mother carefully before answering the brunette.</p><p>"I was thinking about her for doing father's royal portrait"</p><p>Lexa saw the way queen looked at the princess her hand tightening a bit around her glass and held her breath when she started speaking.</p><p>"Why her? We already have Mayr, the royal painter" The queen asked the same question the brunette wanted to ask. </p><p>"Yes mother, Mayr is so talented but I saw the portrait she did of uncle Russell and it looked like he was really there. So real and I want the painting of my father to be as real as possible and Wanheda also is recommended by so many nobles who already has got her service" </p><p>The queen took a little more time for Lexa's liking before answering the report of the princess.</p><p>"Well if you are sure she is that good we can meet her" Nodding back at her daughter the queen continued "We have less than two months for summer festivals so she better starts soon"</p><p>"Actually mother we can send for her tomorrow" When the princess directed her smirk at her Lexa knew exactly what was going to come out of her mouth and pushed the urge she felt to facepalm at the royal dining table.</p><p>"Since the commander is already going to meet her why don't we leave our invitation with her"</p><p>Lexa heard Lincoln choke on his drink and thought how satisfying it would be if it happend to her other cousin who was looking at her with a huge smug grin and when she looked to her right she hoped the same for her brother.</p><p>"Are you ok with that commander?" The crown princess definitely knew how to act all innocent as she looked at Lexa with a eager expression on her face.</p><p>"As you wish your majesty"</p><p>"Are you sure Lexa? You don't have to, we can send a messenger" The brunette felt so grateful towards the queen who always came to her rescue but when she looked around the stubborn side of her refused to back down from the challenging look of her cousins, brother and even the crown princess so she nodded.</p><p>"It's fine your majesty. I can do that"</p><p>"Can I come with you tomorrow?" Commander glared at her brother's enthusiasm.</p><p>"Of course you can Aden. I would have joined too, if I could" Princess Madi was faster than Lexa and she sighed knowing she didn't have any options, she was weak before that girl who she considered as the little sister she never had.</p><p>Later that night when she was getting ready to bed Lexa noticed the scar on her neck again. Brushing her thumb along it she couldn't help thinking about that woman, Wanheda. Her spies had informed her that Wanheda's real name was Beth Rayes and only few nobles and people who were so close to her knew that. She had used her artist name Wanheda since the fire as her signature on her paintings and also as her name. Lexa thought may be it had to do something with sounding powerful in her business field as running a gambling house was not an easy task for a woman. But her commander instincts told her it had to be something more, something deep, because the brief encounter she had with the woman made Lexa understand that she was everything but simple. She definitely had something hidden inside her. She was a mistery and after a very long time, Lexa Woods was intrigued.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It seems like this is becoming my safe place in this pandemic time and a very good escape route from hard and long hours of work and studies. It feels so good to use the time I usually spend reading to put some of my inner fantasies into words. And I am definitely going to finish this story because I know how disappointing it feels when we don't get a chance to finish what we started doing, reading or watching. </p><p>And Thank You so much for the overwhelming response for the first chapter. Like I said please comment if there are any mistakes..!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mornings of weekends were normally peaceful for the servants of Dropship as usually the place was closed till the afternoon on those two days, except for the guests who were staying at at the inn. But they usually went out in the mornings so the servants used those few hours for themselves doing their own personal works, chatting, drinking, gossiping or playing games. </p><p>But that morning of the last day of the week was pretty busy for them. They were dressed in the most beautiful dresses they owned, running here and there dusting the tables, adjusting them and making the chairs around them perfect, taking the goblets of wine and tankards of ale to the bar, placing the small flower vases on the tables, adjusting and readjusting the dice and board games again and again. They all were working more enthusiastically than ever chatting and giggling excitedly.</p><p>Inn keeper of Dropship, Niylah and the owner Wanheda along with Raven were standing on the mezzanine balcony of second floor, leaning against the wooden railing looking at the hustle and bustle down.</p><p>"I have never seen them this happy and excited" Niylah said with a smile.</p><p>"I'm glad they are, but why are they dressed like they are going to a wedding?" Clarke murmured with a frown.</p><p>"It's not everyday we have the great commander visiting our home you know" Raven raised her eyebrows at Clarke and her brown eyes sparkled as she questioned. "How do I look? This is the best tunic I have"</p><p>Clarke looked at her up and down with a fond roll of her eyes and then smiled. "You look as good as ever"</p><p>"Thank you your majesty"Small brunette whispered, last words making Clarke glare at her.</p><p>"Monty is here" Niylah said stopping Clarke from lashing out at Raven's carelessness.</p><p>Monty was one of the most intelligent people Clarke had ever met and she did have almost met all the most intelligent people in the country when she was still a princess. He was a kitchen servant at one of the lesser lords of Trikru, lord Quint who was more arrogant and tyrannical than a normal noble. Monty was abused sexually and physically more than once by him and Clarke had tried her best to save him to no avail because he was originally bought by Quint when he was a child and the lord refused to sell him back to Clarke.</p><p>That was another reason that Monty was so special to Clarke. He was the one who changed the way Clarke thought about the society of a country she was once supposed to become the queen, completely and absolutely. For ten years since she was four she had been taught that her kingdom was a safe place to all the people who lived in it. Slavery was demolished a long before when her grandfather was the king and human trafficking was punishable by death. So when Clarke first heard of "Servants Markets" she thought it was something where lords and wealthy merchants could buy the servants they wanted with the consent of the people who were being bought. But after travelling the clans finding the murderers of her father and then meeting Monty and some other servants, she had come to realisation how wrong she had been all along.</p><p>Servants Markets indeed were places where lords and wealthy people bought servants, both maidservant/manservants or sex slaves. Those were the places where some smugglers sold people, mostly some poor and lowest class commoners who couldn't find at least one meal for the day. Some of them offered themselves willingly as they could at least get food and a place to stay when someone bought them even if they had to face all kind of torture in return. If some of them were lucky enough they would get selected by a lord or a merchant who's kinder than others, so some chose to assay their luck. But most of the people who were being sold had been bought forcefully or kidnapped from the villages far away from the capital where the law couldn't even reach.</p><p>When Clarke first found about all of that, first she had been devastated and then her insides had boiled with an uncontrollable rage and she had even tried to go back to take her rightful place to make those wrongs rights. But lady Diyoza, Raven and Niylah had barely stopped her explaining the importance of the matter she already had in her hands. Finding the traitor amongst the nobles was slightly more important than that as it could create a coup making the lives of poor commoners more miserable with the fear of a war. So she had held herself from destroying her own purpose but with an iron will to make sure to stop that after accomplishing her main goal.</p><p>Clarke jolted when someone put a hand on her own which had turned white holding the wooden railing so tightly. When she turned her head she found Monty smiling at her.</p><p>"Monty. I didn't see you coming up here" She smiled at him.</p><p>"Of course you didn't. You looked like you were ready to kill someone" He raised an eyebrow at her, his always present smile on his face. Clarke smiled gently.</p><p>"I was just thinking about something"</p><p>"Tasks of your nobles?" He teased. But she knew he partially meant it because Wanheda's gambling house was famous for nobles to meet and discuss their secret missions like exchanging drugs or information about illegal business they hid from the queen. Clarke hid her smirk thinking how foolish all of them were to choose her own place for that and she also knew all the other places they used as all innkeepers of Polis had their own network when it came to their business unknown to nobles even they pretended to be enemies.</p><p>"Something like that" He would never know how much she meant her reply.</p><p>"So Jasper told me there's no lesson today?"</p><p>Clarke looked at him thinking about his question. After sizing up all the ugly truths of the outside world of her palace the first thing Clarke did was trying to help her people as much as she could. As her first huge step she bought four servants from the servant market of Arkadia when she got her first big payment for her painting she did for the lady of Blue Cliff clan, Lady Alyssa. She was a pleasant and beautiful woman with a generous heart as she gave coins beyond the worth of the painting saying her talent had no prize. A grateful Clarke had thanked the lady with another painting and she used those coins to buy - Clarke hated saying that word - <em>People were not to buy. They were not objects.</em> Jasper, Maya, Monroe and Harper; very first servants of Dropship. Even though Clarke didn't treat them as such they never forgot to remind her that she was their benefactor time to time making her emotional. </p><p>After that, she kept doing it and now Dropship had twenty people who were working as waiters, guards and dancers. They all lived in the back building of Dropship, Wanheda's new home and they all bonded well with each other and understood each other building one big family for themselves. Three children lived with them, two of them - Charlotte and Lucas - were taken by Clarke two years ago from Polis Servants Market and the other, one year old Noah was the child of one of the maidservants she had taken with her from a village near Azgadian border who had been raped by some thieves and died during childbirth. But back building of Dropship was always filled with children as some poor children were used to come there everyday for food and <em>lessons</em>.</p><p>Clarke had hired a scholar to teach the people who have not seen a book in their entire lives reading and writing, stating it was important for the business. But in real she wanted to make at least few of her people educated so she did the smallest thing she could. Two children were so happy with it as they were so eager to join the army and some lower class parents who hoped for their children to be at least one step above them in the society, also sent their children to Wanheda's little learning place for lessons. </p><p>It's been three years Wanheda had started arranging the lessons and now they had twelve children and five adults who participated them, Monty being one of them. His lord usually travelled all around the kingdom so he used his little moments of freedom wisely whenever he got a chance and had become the most brilliant student so far. Clarke herself had thought some lessons she learned as the crown princess to him and Raven who was the other most brilliant mind Clarke had ever known. Monty was a fast learner and always showed up on time if he didn't have to face the wrath of his lord. So Clarke understood the disappointment in his voice as he loved learning and that was the one time he didn't have any fears and he lived fully.</p><p>"Master Conner will come today. I didn't sent him a message cancelling so you can still have your lessons genius" Clarke patted his arm smiling.</p><p>"I don't think anyone is going to attend it though. They are too excited for that" He smiled looking down at the common room where everyone was running here and there.</p><p>Clarke scoffed. "Drama"</p><p>"What? Aren't you excited to see the commander? It's a very infrequent opportunity for us" </p><p>Clarke furrowed her brows. <em>Excited?</em>She definitely was not excited, on the contrary she was anxious about losing her barely there self control whenever she was faced with the older girl. She was afraid of what the fourteen-years old Clarke was planning inside her head but she just shrugged looking down again.</p><p>"I already met her yesterday"</p><p>"So I heard" Monty's voice was teasing and Raven snorted behind her making Clarke frown.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Did you really put a dagger on the commander's neck and you still didn't get arrested? I don't think that's a chance anyone ever got" He smiled looking at her with wide eyes.</p><p><em>Oh..I did it twice. And arrested? Huh..as if she could arrest me. Clarke</em> wanted to boast but stopped herself and shrugged again as if it was nothing ignoring her heart which was beating a little faster remembering the way the brunette had looked at her with fire in her eyes. </p><p>Clarke's daydream about fiery green eyes cracked as a sound of a commotion and cheers echoed from the main road making the commotion inside Dropship grow twice as before. She kept looking glued to her spot as all the people in the common room started to run towards the main door knowing exactly what or rather who was coming.</p><p>"She's here. Clarke come on" Raven grabbed her arm making her jolt and she sighed shaking her head as she started to follow her, Niylah and Monty trailing behind them. As she climbed down the stairs to the common room her hear sped the rate of its beating making Clarke anxiety rise a little.</p><p>"Oh Gods she's so beautiful" It was Harper's voice she heard when she reached the main door of Dropship servants making space for her to walk forward.</p><p>"How can you see? She's wearing her face mask" Clarke wanted to chuckle at Monroe's remark but kept silent still refusing to look up.</p><p>"I still think she's beautiful" Harper scoffed.</p><p>"She is prideful" It was Maya. Clarke wondered what possessed a woman like her who was normally so logical to compliment the commander like that<em>. </em><em>They know nothing</em>. A fourteen-years old Clarke suddenly whispered in her head frightening her to the core as she realized it was not going to be easy for her.</p><p>Clarke closed her eyes for a moment trying to tune out all the voices which was singing praises or producing the sounds of admiration from her mind and steeled herself to face the person who brought the worst out of her. Always.</p><p>When she opened her eyes she was calm along with her unruly heart, usual mask of Wanheda taking place as it always did whenever the nobles were present. She readjusted her scarf and cleared her throat once, entering her character fully and confidently and reached the front door.</p><p>Front yard of Dropship was filled with commoners and some of the servants of Dropship who had already gone out, eager to see their commander. Four Trikru soldiers on horseback were in the middle of the yard clearing path for another set of horses to ride through the group of people. Another set of four horseback soldiers were behind interposing four horses in the middle of the group that was already grabbing the attention of all gathered around.</p><p>Anya and Lincoln's unmistakable figures were sitting on two black horses on both sides while two brown horses were in the middle. The rider to the left removed his helmet revealing his face and Clarke felt her heart started running again. ADEN. She had no doubts she was right. It definitely was Aden Woods who had grownup to become a definite copy of his father. His golden hair shined in sunlight and he smiled looking at the people around them lifting his hand a little in a wave. </p><p>Clarke tried her best to control her emotions as she looked down closing her eyes hiding behind her scarf. She hadn't expected to see someone she loved so much, someone she was so closed to that sometimes people mistook them for siblings just as Lexa and her sister, today. She felt the familiar burning sensation starting to gather at the base of her throat and she swallowed thickly trying to push it away.</p><p>She looked up, masking her emotions as much as possible just in time to see the other rider in the middle removing her helmet her brunette hair releasing to the wind, her face mask covering her face. Clarke kept looking unable to take her eyes away as the commander carefully tucked her helmet under her left arm still holding the reins and lifted her free hand to greet the people who were cheering and looking at her like she was some kind of myth. Some kind of dream. Some kind of legend. </p><p>Four stable boys of Dropship stepped forward uncertain and fearful but Lincoln nodded at them gesturing them to take the reins. Clarke could see the way Conn, a nineteen years old boy, one of the most experienced stable boys of Dropship literally trembled as he reached the horse of the commander, his motion allowing Clarke to take a good look at the majestic stallion. It was dark brown with a black mane and a tail and stood perfectly and proudly just like the owner. When Conn reached to take the reins from the commander it jerked his head away with a neighed making him to jump a step back. The commander lifted her hand again stopping him from running away and stroked its mane gently lowering her head as if whispering the words of reassurance to its ear. Everyone was looking with moth agape as the horse stopped whining and when the commander signaled the boy to come forward and she herself offered the reins to him horse didn't make any sound letting him. The commander looked around at the crowd one more time before dismounting her stallion with one graceful jump.</p><p>Clarke heard a whisper of 'Charming' to her right in a voice unmistakably Raven and jumped out of her haze she didn't even know she was in, looking at four people who were walking towards the front door her gaze lingering more around one figure. She lowered her head in greeting with others in a nod and felt an elbow to her right ribs remembering her character. She was Wanheda. A commoner. Someone who should show respect to the second most powerful person of the country. Someone who must <em>kneel</em> before the commander of Trigeda. Clarke wanted to laugh at herself. At her twisted fate which had brought her to the lowest point from the highest point of the society making the princess who was arrogant towards and threatened a girl with the power she possessed to a woman who was supposed to bend her knee to the same girl. A part of her thought she deserved that after everything she had done to the other girl. Another part of her <em>wanted</em> to do it, itched even, because it thought that the older girl deserved that respect. But another tiny part where a fourteen-years old Clarke still lived with the crown princess of Trigeda who never yielded to anyone wanted to throw the scarf that covered her face away and peel her scar off and shout at the commander, to command the commander to bend the knee before <em>her</em>. But she did nothing of above. She <em>curtsied</em> with a grace she was sure no lady or woman of Trigeda ever had lowering herself perfectly but head still held up only lowering a little when she saw the commander's eyebrows raising a hair up.</p><p>"Commander" When she heard her own voice firm and poised Clarke was proud of her self control, for once.</p><p>"Wanheda" And the commander's voice was cold, as always.</p><p>"Please come in" She gestured with her hand standing up from her curtsy and inviting the brunette to her home.</p><p>Commander entered the common room of Dropship again, this time without any trouble and Clarke and the others stayed behind going in only after Aden, Anya and Lincoln entered behind her. When they were in the middle of the room the brunette turned around to look at Clarke and then nodded towards Aden.</p><p>"This is my brother, Aden" Clarke wanted to tell her she knew who he was. May be more than the commander herself but stopped herself and again fell into another curtsy, this time no war of emotions inside her head, murmuring "My Lord"</p><p>"Mistress Wanheda. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you" Aden took her hand which was holding her skirt in his own bringing it up to his lips and pressing a kiss to it. Clarke widened her eyes surprised at his gesture. Aden certainly was more social than Lexa but he was still a shy boy in Clarke's memories. But this adolescent who was standing before her, a fascinating smirk on his face was someone who was confident and charming. A dangerous combination for a man of his status. Clarke thought with a small smirk of her own hiding it successfully behind her scarf again.</p><p>"The pleasure is mine my lord and please call me just Wanheda"</p><p>"Wanheda it is" He smiled again lowering her hand and looked at his sister who Clarke knew was trying so hard to stop her eyes from rolling and tried to push the littlest feeling of joy it made her feel.</p><p>"How much do I owe you?" Straight to business. Clarke thought with a shake of her head and before she could reply she heard a voice to her right.</p><p>"What's the rush commander? Please. Take a seat. We all were waiting to meet you. Eagerly" Clarke saw the way Lexa's eyes went wide for a fraction seemingly not at all comfortable in that kind of invitation and wanted to kick Raven for being so blunt. But to her utter surprise it was Anya who replied.</p><p>"Yes Heda. We specially came here today. I think we can stay for some time"</p><p>"I agree with cousin Anya. We should stay for some time. It's not everyday we come to a place like this" Aden said looking around the place and Clarke was positive that Lexa wanted to hit them.</p><p>"I have duties" The brunette mentioned and looked at Clarke again with a pointed look.<br/>"How much do I own you Wanheda?"</p><p>"My assistant will tell you about it commander" Clarke gestured at Raven, giving her own pointed look to the small brunette.</p><p>"Our place is quite luxurious commander so it will be two silver coins for both table and the door" And again Clarke supressed the urge to kick Raven.</p><p>"Very well" The brunette nodded and moved her hand inside of her armour retrieving a leather pouch and Clarke thought if this is the first time she carried a coin pouch with her.</p><p>The commander took one gold coin and put it on the table that separated her group from Clarke's and Clarke couldn't help her raising left brow.</p><p>"I don't have two silver coins"</p><p>Clarke wanted to scoff.</p><p>"I will get you the change" She took the coin and started to walk towards her office only to stop by the commander's voice.</p><p>"It's all right. Use it to buy drinks for everyone here"</p><p>The room went silent for a moment and them erupted into cheering thanking the commander and this time Clarke scoffed, the sound muffled behind all the noises.</p><p>"You want to buy everyone drinks" Clarke stepped infront of the commander and the room went silent again sensing the change of air.</p><p>The brunette nodded.</p><p>"Well you can buy them drinks <em>and food</em> for a month and there will still be change"</p><p>Clarke noticed the way both Anya and Aden widened their eyes along with the commander and continued.</p><p>"This one gold coin is enough to repair the table and the door and buy food and drinks for fifty people for a month. Don't you know that commander?" </p><p>She knew she was being unreasonable. She knew it was never Lexa's fault. She was the protector of the nation and had been fulfilling her duty like no one else ever did in the history uniting clans and ensuring the safety of people. Clarke knew that this might be the only time she used her own money for something because she had always been someone who reacted to people according to their behaviour, not the title. She had always been kind to others and Clarke assumed she still was like that. Maybe she didn't even know all the things happening in the society that was not related to the country's safety. Clarke understood her because she had also been the same before she became Wanheda living in another world inside a palace dreaming about a better future for her people not knowing the difficulties those people had to face in their everyday lives. So a part of her knew she was being unreasonable there.</p><p>But another part where lived nine years of anger and disappointment towards some traditions and rules of the society which somehow was created by her own ancestors was storming inside her mind and the realisation that even her own father hadn't dared to change those things and the way she had been thought some complete different theories about it made it impossible to contain the power of that storm inside and she wanted it out and like always it had been whenever she was frustrated as a fourteen-years old, Lexa was there. Maybe seeing her after nine years and awakening of that fourteen-years old girl and her emotions made her burst. Maybe it's that tiny voice inside her which said that Lexa was the best target because she knew she was going to absorb it all for her like the black undershirt she always wore to battles which absorbed all the blood making it invincible and seemingly fine.</p><p>Clarke looked again at the commander in the eye and saw them burning with a familiar fire making her own fire growing inside her. She wanted her to know what was happening at least in her own clan. She wanted the Lady Of Trikru to know about the truth of her clan.</p><p>"You give a gold coin as if it's nothing but as the lady of Trikru do you even know how many people are there in your clan who have never seen a single gold coin in their whole lives, who don't have enough coppers to by at least one meal for a day, who have to beg for it?"</p><p>The room was noiseless and Clarke was on fire.</p><p>"And do you know most of those people are hungry because of your lords?" </p><p>She raised her eyebrows panting a little after her outburst, hoping for Lexa to response in a fiery way that could match her own fire. She wanted it. She was even praying for it. She wanted something to release the negative and rotten feelings inside her for once but to her depression and anger it never came. Only reaction she could get out from the older girl was the fire that made her eyes blaze and a clench of her fist around her leather pouch and Clarke decided to add some more fuel to the fire.</p><p>"You already are a legend, as the commander but you didn't forget you are the lady of Trikru too, did you?"</p><p>And that did it.</p><p>The commander put her pouch inside her armour again and moved away from the table she was standing behind, taking careful and heavy steps towards her but never breaking that blazing eye contact and when she was directly before her Clarke felt suddenly so small, not having enough courage to maintain that fire stare. But the commander didn't stop, she took another step invading her personal space and Clarke felt her panting speeding up and took a step back. When the commander lowered her head a little bringing her flaming eyes to the level of her own their faces mere inches apart Clarke wanted to run. She wanted to run and hide somewhere where the commander would never be able to find her because she knew what the brunette was doing. She was reading her the way she always did when they were children. She did it even when she had Clarke's dagger pressed on her neck and she was so good at it and Clarke wanted to run as she couldn't afford to be read by the brunette. She had too much to hide than her fourteen-years old self.</p><p>The commander kept looking at her, her eyes on fire and jaw clenched visibly under her face mask and the room was dead silent as if everyone's hearts stopped beating along with Clarke's and she stopped a gasp barely when she saw all the flecks of gold that were scattered in the commander's green irises but she didn't have much time to absorb it all as the brunette broke eye contact and took a step away seemingly satisfied with her observation.</p><p>"You have an invitation"</p><p>Clarke heard so many sighs of relief and some takes of breaths around the room and took a big puff of air filling her rapidly emptying lungs.</p><p>"What?" </p><p>She couldn't understand what suddenly happened because that definitely was not the answer she was expecting from the commander but a part of her wasn't even surprised by that knowing the brunette was not someone one could understand easily and her voice was too collected for Clarke's liking.</p><p>Instead of giving an answer Lexa titled her towards Aden who was still standing beside the table few feet behind them.</p><p>"Crown princess Madelyn Griffin has sent an invitation for you Wanheda. She wants to meet you" </p><p>Aden's voice was some distance sensation of ringing in her ears only the words 'Madelyn Griffin' and 'Wants to see you' entering her suddenly stopped working brain and she clenched her fists stopping them from reaching her mouth. She felt her eyes went wide and heart started beating as if it ran a race unknown to her and her panting quickened and she blew the air in her lungs out in the form of a gasp.</p><p>"Wh..Why?" Clarke felt herself asking after what felt like uncountable candle marks later and for a moment she was impressed with herself at the less trembling of her voice.</p><p>"It's not because what happened yesterday" It was Lexa who answered and her eyes shined with something akin to amusement and Clarke was certain she was smirking under that leather face mask and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.</p><p>"She just wants to consult you about some painting she wants you to do for her" Aden smiled looking at her, his voice gentle and eyes warm and Clarke thought maybe he's trying to comfort her mistaking the trembling in her voice as something of that mixed feelings of flattery and fear from getting an invitation from the palace as a commoner and again she felt a rush of affection in her heart for the boy and his thoughtfulness. <em>Unlike his sister</em>.</p><p>"Here" Lexa's voice made her jolt a little still in some kind of haze thinking about the invitation and when she looked at the brunette she saw her holding what looked like a parchment and felt her heart thudding again as her hand slowly reached for it. </p><p>Clarke hoped for the commander not to notice the slight trembling of her hands but then considered maybe brunette would think of that as her nervousness about the invitation and carefully unroll it being completely aware of the speed of her heart and lump in her throat. But both of the lump and speed go down as she read it a part of her being disappointed and a part of her being relieved.</p><p>It definitely a parchment from the palace but instead of her sister's personal handwriting it contained the seal of the palace and the writing of an advisor asking for Wanheda's presence at the palace. Maybe it was Marcus Kane. Clarke, pushing the game of guessing away looked at the commander again who were again watching her movements carefully as if she's reading her.</p><p>"Give me a minute" She needed more than minute to shake this feeling of going to the palace but she couldn't tell the people around her that so she asked for some time when the commander nodded she started to walk towards the back door to the second building of Dropship only to stop by Aden.</p><p>"My lord please take a seat and have some drinks. My friends specially prepared everything for the commander today and they will be happy to serve you all" </p><p>She turned her gaze towards Anya, Lincoln and then Lexa at the end of the sentence and saw the way the brunette narrowed her eyes as Anya and Lincoln followed Aden to the table as he happily accepted the invitation.</p><p>"We don't have much time"</p><p>Clarke wanted to scream as her head turned before she could stop but then settled with a nod to the commander. She motioned Raven and Niylah to follow her and made her way to the back building and when she looked back at the common room for the last time before exiting she saw the way Lexa took a seat beside Aden at the table he was sitting and shook her head trying to erase the image of the brunette sitting in her new home from her memory.</p><p>Safely back in her room Clarke paced from one corner to other rubbing her forehead and when Raven blocked her path she looked at her with a frown.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You can't take time to panic now. We have to go out"</p><p>"I know okay. But I don't know how to process this news" She sighed sitting down on her bed.</p><p>Her room in back building was large with a huge bed, large closet and a study table in the front but no evidence of her mission was nowhere to be seen in that room. It was the place she only used to sleep while her secret room under the storage room was the real place she wanted to live, planning and thinking about the punishments for those traitors.</p><p>But now was not the time to think about it as she had an invitation. An invitation to see her sister again, maybe her mother too. An invitation to the palace. To her home once and Clarke didn't know how to process all of that thoughts so she shook her head and pinched her nose using her thumb and forefinger.</p><p>"You are right. I have no time to panic. I have to face it. Yes. I have to" </p><p>She whispered last words to herself and got up from the bed going to the closest and taking a scarf out.</p><p>"Why?" Niylah asked with a frown.</p><p>"It's larger and will cover my face more and it will be the answer to that question the commander is going to ask if I go back there in the same outfit"</p><p>Raven smirked looking at her and she glared before changing her scarf and then came out Niylah and Raven following her. When she reached the back door of Dropship she looked over her shoulder at Raven.</p><p>"You are coming with me"</p><p>"What? Why didn't you say so before. I could have changed too"</p><p>"You said this is your best tunic" Clarke scoffed as Raven glared at her and looked at Niylah.</p><p>"Niylah can you handle the place until I'm back?"</p><p>"Of course"</p><p>Before Clarke could step inside the common room she felt someone holding her arm and when she looked back Niylah was wearing an expression of tenderness mixed with warning.</p><p>"Be careful and please control yourself"</p><p>Clarke knew she was not talking about controlling herself infront of her family but in front of the nobles she could meet and nodded a smile tugging her lips up.</p><p>"I will try. But I think I will not have much time to worry about them. I am going to see the crown princess today"</p><p>Niylah and Raven smiled, a soft expression grazing Raven's features after a very long time. They both understood how important this moment could be for Clarke and she knew they were happy for her and supporting her and she was greatly grateful for that.</p><p>When the three women entered the common room again Clarke's eyes bulged out at the sight before her.</p><p>Anya, Lincoln and Aden were all standing around a dice table where the commander was standing at a side and Jasper at the opposite side. </p><p><em>Lexa was playing dice</em>?</p><p>"Oh Gods" Raven shrieked beside her and ran towards the table completely ignoring her leg and joined the group of servants who were watching the game and cheering.</p><p>Clarke stood frozen and tried understand to what was happening as she had never seen Lexa playing any games except for some strategy games with her sister and combats and when Niylah put a hand on her arm she jolted and shook her head before walking towards the game.</p><p>Jasper's eyes lit up when he saw her and he lifted both of his hands shouting.</p><p>"I defeated the commander"</p><p>And again Clarke's eyes went wide at his excitement and she looked at the brunette who was standing to the right to her. The commander was looking at Jasper as he was smiling at Clarke an unreadable expression on her face and when she spoke Clarke saw the way Jasper shuddered a little at her voice.</p><p>"You are a very talented player master Jasper but I will come back for another game when I have time"</p><p>Clarke agaped under the scarf along with Aden and Lincoln when the commander brought her hand up for him to shake. Jasper hesitated first shifting a little but when Maya elbowed him on the ribs he brought his trembling hand up and clasped it in a traditional Trikru handshake with the commander. </p><p>Clarke saw the way the brunette's eyes were sparkling some strange light in them and tried to ignore the thought that said how beautiful her eyes were.</p><p>When the commander let go of Jasper's hand nodding once Anya spoke with a smirk firmly on her face.</p><p>"Are you coming back for a game Heda?"</p><p>"Yes. Is that a problem general?" Lexa's voice was cold and her eyes were narrowed and Clarke thought she must be glaring under the mask and hid her smile under her scarf. But her smile changed into a frown when she saw Harper offering a drink to the brunette smiling seductively and it deepened when the commander accepted it with a nod.</p><p>It was not a secret that the commander fancied women not men and so many noble women were already trying to win her affection. When Clarke first heard it she was surprised not because of the brunette's sexuality but the fact that the brunette had accepted it as it was, being the heir to the most powerful noble house and clan not stopping her from doing so. She had already declared Aden and any children he was to father as the heirs to Woods household and refused getting married anytime soon giving all of her attention to warfare and the safety of her country and Clarke admired the woman for <em>only</em> that reason.</p><p>But she didn't think seeing women making advances towards the brunette would wake that uncomfortable burning sensation in her stomach whenever it had done when she saw her with lady Costia when they were still children and she hates herself for feeling like that at all. Clarke pushed those ridiculous thoughts away and stepped towards the table.</p><p>"I am ready"</p><p>Lexa looked at her over the rim of her tankard and narrowed her eyes. Then nodded. Clarke narrowed her own eyes trying to understand the meaning of the commander's expressions but then thought it's better not to think about it since she was not something one could understand.</p><p>"This place is very interesting Wanheda. I am going to come back too" Aden said nodding with a smile on his face.</p><p>"Me too. Lady Octavia always talks about how amazing this palace is and I want to explore more" Lincoln joined him with his brown eyes shining.</p><p>"You are always welcome my lords. Lady Octavia and Lord Bellamy usually stay here in weekends but they already went to the palace this morning otherwise you could meet her too"</p><p>"Yes. They have training for summer festivals" Lincoln nodded.</p><p>"Okay. Let's go then" Anya moved away from the table a bored look on her face only to stop when Raven blocked her path and Clarke wanted to face palm.</p><p>"Why so hurry my lady. I have something to ask"</p><p>"What?" Clarke was sure Anya was annoyed and knew it was not a good sign but Raven didn't look like she's finished.</p><p>"Not you my lady. The commander. I have something to ask her" Raven smirked and Clarke saw Anya practically oozing fire from her eyes. But Raven was Raven when she turned her attention to the brunette and to the blonde's utter shock Lexa seemed happy with Anya's anger her eyes sparkling as she nodded to the younger brunette.</p><p>"Why do you always wear this mask? Can you take it off?" Clarke gasped along with some other people in the room and she saw the way a chuckle left Aden and Anya's glare turned into a smirk while Lincoln was wearing a full blown smile.</p><p>"I prefer to stay that way. I value my freedom" Lexa's eyes were somehow shining in the low light of the room and Clarke couldn't stop her eyes from looking at her wondering how many people in the room understood the meaning of the brunette's words. </p><p>Everyone saw the commander. The undefeated warrior. The ruthless leader. The fearless soldier. The strongest protector. Who people didn't know was the introverted person inside her. The silent girl. The meticulous strategist. The curious observer. The gentle sister and cousin.</p><p>But Clarke had been knowing all of that hidden personalities other people didn't get to see since they both were children. Clarke had even experienced a little bit of that each secret personality of the brunette. Clarke knew <em>Lexa</em> as much as she didn't understand the commander and she knew Lexa was much more than the commander and was still living inside that cold and stoic woman.</p><p>Lexa was someone who didn't like attention even in a lesson with only seven youngsters. She used to hide in the library whenever she had time with books surrounding her and the only time she seemed to be happy with a crowd was at the training grounds. So Clarke understood her discomfort when her chosen duty became something that attracted all the attention of a nation, as much as possible.</p><p>When she first heard the rumours about the commander's face mask and a scar across her face she had got from her first battle at Mount Weather she hadn't believed it at all. She knew the brunette. She knew Lexa must have found a small way to escape from all the attention she had been getting from being the commander using that little mask. Clarke understood that it was something she wore not to hide her face but to protect her freedom. It was something same as Clarke's scarf but for completely different reasons.</p><p>When Raven shook her arm grabbing her back to the moment she looked at the commander again understanding swimming in her eyes. But the brunette was not looking at her. She was looking down at the two children who was standing before her wide eyes and fearful but awe filled looks on their faces.</p><p>Clarke's lips pulled up as her eyes focused on Charlotte and Lucas who were looking at the commander but seemed like lost for words. She took few steps towards them and stood behind them and in front of the commander putting her hands on each child's shoulder.</p><p>"Do you have something to ask the commander?"</p><p>The boy and the girl jumped at her voice and her hands on them looking up but when they saw who was standing behind they gave her a weak smile and nodded.</p><p>"Then go ahead" She smiled and hoped her eyes conveyed what she was doing and when the children smiled at her she understood they did.</p><p>"Hh..how are you commander?" Charlotte was the first to pick her courage and the brunette nodded at the little girl her own eyes wide and radiant.</p><p>"I am good. How are you?"</p><p>Clarke tried to hide the sound of a chuckle which was bubbling inside her at the commander's awkwardness. She clearly was not comfortable and Clarke was certain that she had never had any close interactions with children before and the way the brunette answered and was looking at them made it clear.</p><p>Charlotte was silent like she didn't know what else to ask and Clarke sqeezed her shoulder little reminding her that the commander had asked a question. Little girl jumped a little and then looked at the brunette wide eyed.</p><p>"I'm fine commander. Thank you"</p><p>At the commander's nod Lucas had decided to wake his voice.</p><p>"We have something for you Heda" </p><p>When Lexa raised her eyebrows at the boy he brought the hand which was hidden behind his back holding it out to the older woman.<br/>Clarke looked at the small wooden figurine of a tiger in the boy's hand and with a soft smile turned her eyes towards the commander. Lexa was looking at the two children with her own eyes wide and slowly brought her own hand up to take the item.</p><p>"Why a Tiger?" She asked before inspecting the item turning it around.</p><p>"Because you are strong and fierce like a tiger" It was Charlotte who had finally topped her voice from shaking.</p><p>Lexa raised an impressed brow at the two and bend a little, looking at them more carefully.</p><p>"And you never lose" Lucas was bouncing on her feet as he looked at the brunette fishing for another compliment and this time Clarke was unable to hide her chuckle, the sound making the commander look at her with narrowed eyes and she just shrugged trying to brush it off.</p><p>"I have lost actually" Clarke's own eyes widened with that along with the two children.</p><p>"In a battle?" Charlotte sounded a little disappointed and angry.</p><p>"No. Not in a battle but in some games" Lexa said nodding at Jasper, her tone teasing and Clarke was dumbfounded listening to her amused tone.</p><p>"I will never forget this moment commander" Jasper's voice was proud and Clarke shook her head.</p><p>"But I said I will come back" Clarke knew that voice, it was the voice Lexa used she was determined and smirked thinking about the impending doom of Jasper, the undefeated winner of dice in Dropship.</p><p>"We are getting late commander" Anya said both her eyes and voice bored and she saw the way Raven rolled her eyes at the older blonde and prayed for the gods she knew for her not to create any trouble.</p><p>Instead of getting into her commander mood and leave quickly Lexa looked down at the children again.</p><p>"I have nothing to give you. But when I come back I will make sure to bring something. Any requests?"</p><p>"A dagger" Both Charlotte and Lucas shouted and Clarke shook her head again at their enthusiasm stating in her stern voice.</p><p>"You both are too young to use daggers"</p><p>"How old are you?" Lexa questioned them to which they answered making the commander's eyes shine mischievously and when said "I was merely five when I got my first dagger. Don't worry I will teach you how to use it safely"</p><p>Clarke wanted to shout at the brunette for her carelessness with children but kept her mouth shut not to create anymore trouble than she already had with the commander and just nudged the children to move away making the way for her to go. </p><p>Lexa looked at both children again and held out her hand for them to shake and Clarke knew in that moment that the only thing they're going to talk about for at least week will be contained that moment.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~ </p><p><br/>When they all came out of Dropship ready to leave for the palace that burning sensation of dread filled Clarke's stomach again and she tried her best to push it away without any success. </p><p>The commander once again nodded at the people of Dropship as she was standing just outside its main door waiting for her horse to be handed over to her as all the servants and other commoners who were gathering started cheering again bidding farewell to their beloved Heda.</p><p>"Where are you going?" Anya asked when Raven and Clarke started to walk towards the stables to get their horses and they both looked at the general, confused.</p><p>"To get our horses?" Raven raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"No need. The crown princess has sent a royal carriage"</p><p>"A royal carriage?" Raven squealed her voice and eyes excited and Clarke just stood there noticing the big wooden carriage for the first time which was parked near the huge gates of Dropship.</p><p>"Why are you coming by the way? The invitation is for Wanheda" Anya's grumpy voice made Clarke jumped out of her haze she had been fallen into after seeing something royal after a long time and she looked at Raven with narrowed eyes before she said something stupid and answered Anya.</p><p>"She is my assistant and closest friend and if this really is about doing paintings, I want her there with me" Clarke said with a firm voice and when Anya just nodded she sighed relieved. </p><p>What she didn't tell Anya was the real reason she wanted Raven there with her. She wanted someone to hold onto, someone to support her if she was going to be too weak in her old home after seeing the most important people in her life after nine long years. She wanted some leverage for stopping her from breaking. She wanted someone there to ground her.</p><p>"Let's go" Aden's voice made her come back from her stupor and she took hesitant steps towards the royal carriage. It was made of mostly woods and partially steel, with some golden touches here and there and four steel wheels made it go and two horses were attached to its front that were standing still their heads held up proudly. There was no driver to it as it was the soldiers on front horses were the ones who directed the way of the carriage.</p><p>Clarke looked back at Dropship before getting in and noticed the commander riding her horse to the front and moved away a little to make the path for that beast of a horse. When she looked at front door she saw Harper, Maya, Monore and Jasper waving at her and Monty and Niylah giving her nods of encouragement and nodded back at them finally getting in.</p><p>Clarke didn't know why she felt like this like she's going to a battle, her heart racing, pulse jumping and her bones soaring. She thought maybe it was nervousness of seeing her family again but a part of her knew that it was mixed with the sadness and anger of missing her father and instantly pushed that thought away refusing herself from breaking even before she arrived the palace.</p><p>She jumped a little on the velvet seat of the carriage when a hand settled atop her gloved right hand and when she looked up she saw Raven looking at her with tender eyes and soft smile. She squeezed her hand as if trying to say everything is going to be all right and she sighed squeezing back the younger girl's hand. When she heard a soldier shouting the departure of the team she straightened her spine sitting more rigid her hands tightning around the seat. She was ready as much as she ever could be and she pushed all the thoughts away emptying her mind and taking a deep breath before closing her eyes and the world from her only one thought inside her head. </p><p>She was not going home. Clarke Griffin was not going home to meet her sister and probably her mother. Instead Wanheda was going to the palace to meet the crown princess and hopefully the queen.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~</p><p><br/>With a high pitched shout and some footsteps around it, the carriage came to a hault successfully bringing Clarke out of the haze she was engulfed in, reassuring herself that she was Wanheda and she's there to see the princess again and again, nails digging into her palms as she was clutching them in fists.</p><p>She opened her eyes and took a deep breath before looking outside and through the uncovered side window of the carriage she saw soldiers fussing around few feet away from the carriage and glanced at Raven and when she got a nod as response she opened the door of the carriage ready to put her first step to a place she once called home. </p><p>A soldier was standing near the opened door holding out a hand acting as a footman and she took it with a nod and got down carefully holding her skirt by her free hand. Once her feet hit the ground she finally titled her head up taking her surroundings.</p><p>Clarke was standing in the middle of the side courtyard of the castle of Polis near its stables and it was already packed with soldiers and guards, some taking armours and various weapons here and there, some polishing swords, daggers and spears at the far back corner of the courtyard, some of them riding horses around seemingly testing them and some moving here and there in groups likely practicing parade and few who appeared to be higher ranked officer commanding them.</p><p>Clarke kept looking at all of the event taking place frozen to the ground her eyes wide and a look of awe on her face hidden behind her scarf. Everything looked more energetic and powerful than she remembered.</p><p>Soldiers looked more agile, more strong and more disciplined. Walls of the castle looked more solid and hard. Horses in the stables few yards away looked healthy and bright, Even few maidservants she could see from where she stood who were walking inside the castle were more cheerful and active and Clarke thought maybe the palace also had changed for good just like the country.</p><p>She jumped a little when she felt someone touched her arm and when she turned her head she saw Aden looking at her with a smile.</p><p>"Are you ok?"</p><p>"I am my lord. Thank you. I was just taking everything in"</p><p>"Oh I know the feeling. I was surprised too when I first saw the palace"</p><p>Clarke didn't want to tell him or remind herself that she remembered exactly the moment she saw Aden for the first time at the palace.</p><p>"Let me take you inside" He held his arm at her and she chuckled glad to bury all the feelings she was feeling after seeing just a bit of changes happened to the palace as deep as possible with the sound and slipped her hand to his arm.</p><p>Clarke glanced over her shoulder looking for Raven and saw she was walking a feet or two behind them and between Anya and Lincoln and that's when she realised what or rather who was missing. She frowned and jerked her head to the side looking at Aden and he just shrugged smiling.</p><p>"Are you looking for my sister? She went to the stables. She prefers to stable Shadow herself"</p><p>"Shadow?" </p><p>He nodded his smile becoming more gentle.</p><p>"Her horse. It's his name"</p><p>Shadow. Clarke thought how much thought Lexa must have put in before naming the stallion knowing the brunette's childhood obsession over horses and how much the name must have meant to her as she was more friendly towards horses than people. She always had been and Clarke knew that kind of habits didn't change quickly. </p><p>"Oh" She tried to push a small spark of tenderness she felt towards the brunette as she tightened her hold on Aden's arm as they started walking towards the castle and she kept her head down as much as possible even when she knew no one was going to recognize her all of the people she met on the way too busy to even notice her but what she truly wanted was to get a hold of herself even after all the meditation of reassuring she did inside the carriage on the way.</p><p>"Are you nervous?" Aden asked putting his hand on her hand that was around his arm and Clarke looked up at him and for the first time realised that he was infact taller than her forcing her to think how much time she had missed in her loved ones lives and cursed at herself for thinking like that again breaking her will to commit to her disguised character, Wanheda.</p><p>"Isn't it normal?" She hoped her voice was not trembling as her thoughts and when he gave a smile in return she thought maybe she was successful.</p><p>"Yes it is but don't worry we are going to see the princess first and she's pretty friendly"</p><p>"And the queen is not?" Clarke wanted to know because she knew her sister had always been friendly but she wasn't sure if her mother was the same after all the things she had lost and experienced over the past years.</p><p>"No no. The queen is definetly friendly but to a limit. She has to be like that you know"</p><p>Of course she knew. She had even been training to be like that.</p><p>"I understand. It's just I don't know how to face them" Well that's was not entirely a lie.</p><p>"Oh don't worry according to protocols the princess is to start the conversations so you are safe at first"</p><p>"At first?"</p><p>"Because then you have to answer her questions and those are pretty intense"</p><p>Clarke hoped her smile under the scarf was evident in her eyes and hid her new found nervousness, one she didn't know how or why suddenly birthed and thought it had to do something with committing more to her character as a commoner.</p><p>Their walking came to a stop when four people came towards them and Clarke instantly recognized the once at the side of the commander<em>. Indra Pine</em>. Captain of the palace guards and also a general to Trikru army. The woman looked as same as Clarke remembered and when she looked at her her always present glare firmly on display Clarke bowed her head a little.</p><p>"Commander, I will see you with the information soon" The older woman bowed at the commander and started to walk away with two soldiers who were following her not at all reacting to Clarke's greeting and she wanted to laugh. Although much had changed Clarke found herself smiling internally to find the people who mattered were still the same. She shook her head a little hiding her smile and when she lifted her head up she saw Lexa was looking at her with narrowed eyes and quickly looked down again.</p><p>"The princess is in the backyard" The brunette stated coldly not taking her eyes from Clarke until the last moment and started to guide the group. When Clarke looked over her shoulder again, just to check Raven she saw her smirking at a glaring Anya and prayed to all the deities she knew for her to not create any troubles that could cause both of them to end up at the end of Anya's sword.</p><p>"We are here" Aden's whisper made her jumped out of her praying and directly into a tornado of nerves all the feelings she was trying so hard to supress coming up in full force.</p><p>Clarke bit her lip hard and clenched her gloved right hand as tight as she could and closed her eyes bowing her head gathering all the strength she possessed and needed to survive next few minutes.</p><p>They stood at the doorway to the backyard of the castle. Polis castle had three main yards. One at the left side where stables and training grounds were situated, one in the middle that separated the main building of the castle from bedchambers and one at the back where the large botanical garden of the palace was located. </p><p>The backyard botanical garden contained many kinds of flowers, many kinds of plants and almost every kind of herbals and that was the place fourteen-years old Clarke went whenever she wanted to be alone and paint as it looked like a little forest and being back at that place after nine years and getting to see her sister there made her heart ache.</p><p>They entered the garden, Lexa at the front, Aden and Clarke next and Anya, Lincoln and Raven behind them. </p><p>Walking towards the middle of the garden Clarke tried to erase the memories that had started to play behind her eyelids like a procession showing her the way a small Clarke ran around the garden her friends and sister chasing her, the way she ran away her mother shouting her to learn about herbals, her father sneaking under the trees to find her as she was hiding amongst the trees angry with him for not being able to spend much time with her.</p><p>A tug on her hand made her stop and come out of that procession of memories altogether and she raised her eyebrows at Aden who was not looking at the front, smile tugging his lips up and when she turned her head to look ahead world around her stopped with her heart.</p><p>Sitting on a marble bench between and under some large trees - <em>Clarke's once favourite place to draw and read</em> - was the crown princess of Trigeda. Little sister for Clarke Griffin but the next queen for Wanheda.</p><p>Clarke lowered her gaze in a lightning speed - catching only a glimpse of a beautiful smile as her heart started hammering against her ribs and eyes started to water - removing her hand from Aden's grasp in the process. She lowered her body falling into a perfect curtsey clutching her skirt with all her might and biting inside her cheek until she felt a hint of copper. She clenched her eyes shut pushing back the tears that had pooled in her eyes and cleared her dry throat before whispering "Your majesty"</p><p>"Welcome to the palace, legendary Wanheda" </p><p>She closed her eyes tighter inhaling a large gupl of air before lifting her gaze and when she did she found all of it leaving her lungs again even before her heart could get a breath.</p><p>Her little sister who was not so little anymore was sitting on the marble bench before her. Her eyes bright blue and her smile brilliant white. Her brown hair braided in one long braid that was resting on her left shoulder. A small yet splendour tiara on the crown of her head. She was wearing a long sleeve blue silk dress which looked like it was painted to her and a thin golden girdle belt around her waist. A book was resting on the bench beside her and Clarke found herself unable to move, speak or think and when she felt a hand on her shoulder she jolted quickly getting up from her curtsey.</p><p>"Are you all right?" Aden's concerned voice made her widen her eyes coming back to the moment and she nodded still lost for words.</p><p>"Thank you for delivering my message commander"</p><p>A voice, a little raspy but melodic like music forced Clarke to look at the princess again as she was speaking to the commander a teasing smile on her face and a playful tone in her voice and Clarke found herself mirroring that smile under her scarf.</p><p>Her sister had grown up to be a beautiful lady. Far more beautiful than any lady who were considered to be the most beautiful woman in the country. She looked so much like her mother. Same face cut, same jawline, same nose and same smile. But she had the same eyes of her father. Same blue, same kindness, same playfulness and same love and Clarke felt her chest tightening again sending signals to her tear glands.</p><p>Clarke clenched her eyes shut for a moment along with her fists and begged Wanheda to take control of the situation and once she was satisfied with the emotional strength she found she raised her head only to see the way her sister still smiling at a narrow eyed Lexa.</p><p>"My pleasure your majesty" The commander bowed.</p><p>"Really?" </p><p>Clarke took a mental image of the way her sister chuckled at the way the commander glared at her brother.</p><p>"Let her be Aden" Princess said with a playfully stern voice and then smiled at the brunette.</p><p>"Thank you commander." </p><p>Fourteen-years old Clarke made an appearance inside her burning her with a feeling she often felt when her sister acted like Lexa was her real sister which she had identified as jealousy and chased the feeling away reminding herself who she was and why she was there.</p><p>Lexa bowed her head once and gestured Anya and Aden to follow her as she started to go back to the castle but not before giving Clarke another suspicious look with narrowed eyes and Clarke blinked under that intense stare before averting her gaze away.</p><p>"I hope you don't mind me taking the liberty to hold this meeting here. There are some renovations going on in the palace for summer festivals so I chose here. Without any disturbances"</p><p>Clarke shook her head rapidly before answering, proud of her not so shaking voice.</p><p>"Oh no your majesty. I myself enjoy the nature"</p><p>"Really? That's good then. Please take a seat"</p><p>She said gesturing towards the graphit bench next to the marble one and when Clarke started to move she saw the way princess turned her attention towards Raven who was standing behind Clarke and she mentally face palmed at herself for forgetting about her friend in the haze of seeing her little sister again.</p><p>"Oh. I apologize your majesty for not introducing before. This is my assistant and friend Raven Rayes"</p><p>"Best friend" Clarke glared at Raven for forgetting her place again. Maybe she should have trained her before bringing her there to make sure she wouldn't forget that they were meeting the crown princess not Clarke's sister.</p><p>But Madi just chuckled. <em>She's still the same. The same joyful little girl.</em> Clarke thought with a new ache in her heart.</p><p>"Pleasure to meet you mistress Rayes. Are you two related?"</p><p>Clarke snapped her head towards the princess momentarily forgetting that she in fact did take Raven's last name as her own when she entered to this character and tried to come up with a suitable response but to her relief and for once being sensible Raven spoke.</p><p>"We are cousins your majesty"</p><p>"Oh. I apologize Wanheda if I crossed a line but I was given all the information about you when I chose you for this duty"</p><p>Clarke knew exactly who had given the princess all the information about her life and rolled her eyes hiding it using her lowered head as she took a seat on the black graphite bench.</p><p>"Don't apologize your majesty. I understand and I am really grateful for this chance you gave me to see you"</p><p>The princess would never know how genuine those words were.</p><p>"Still I felt like it was an invasion of privacy but people around me worry too much about my safety"</p><p>Young princess shook her head glancing behind her shoulder and that's when Clarke noticed the woman standing behind the bench. She was wearing a deep black boiled leather armour, side profile of an eagle embroidered onto its chest. A sword on her hip and hands behind her back standing like a statue. Her blonde hair cut short and a serious expression on her face and her eyes became gentle for a moment when she caught the look of the princess.</p><p><em>Gaia Pine. Personal guard of the crown princess. A Black Eagle warrior</em>.</p><p>Clarke blinked recovering from her observation and nodded at the princess.</p><p>"I understand your majesty and I truly don't mind"</p><p>"Well I'm glad then. Thank you"</p><p>Clarke felt like she's powerless as every time her sister smiled at her she felt a longing ache inside her heart and prayed for Wanheda to take over and stay in the character until the last moment.</p><p>"Let me come to the point without wasting any time." The princess cleared her throat and Wanheda took Clarke's place.</p><p>"Most likely my coronation ceremony is going to be held within this year" </p><p>Clarke frowned, unable to understand that statement but the princess just smiled nodding and giving her a signal that it was something important she should state before she tells her the real reason to her sudden and unexpected royal invitation so she just nodded back settling more down to the bench.</p><p>"And the tradition says whenever a new monarch is crowned his or her portrait is to be placed at the royal court and a portrait of the former monarch on the great wall of the royal gallery"</p><p>Again Clarke's frown deepened and again the princess just waved a hand gesturing there's more.</p><p>"My portrait is already done by the royal painter but I want 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to do my father's portrait which is going to be placed on the great wall"</p><p>And that made Clarke's gasp and then clench both her jaw and hands around the graphit edge of the bench.</p><p><em>She wants me to do the portrait of our father</em>.</p><p>Clarke had always been saying that she was the one to do her father's portrait when it's time and her father had always joked about it saying she would make him ugly and when her sister, the crown princess asked her to do the thing she had always dreamed to do but had completely forgotten about after her life took a sudden overturn Clarke didn't know how to react. But thanks to her iron will Wanheda did.</p><p>"Me?" Even though she thought Wanheda did she still couldn't stop the tremble in her voice as it came out as a whisper.</p><p>"Yes. You. I already have consulted so many people about this and I heard only good things about your artistic skills"</p><p>"But what about the royal painter?"</p><p>"Oh Master Mayr already agreed to this. In fact he was one of the people who recommended you. He admires your talent"</p><p>"Well..I.."</p><p>"Is there something wrong? You can always say no if you don't want to"</p><p>Clarke shook here head murmuring, "No no no..of course not your majesty. I...I just still can't believe this"</p><p>"Oh" The brunette smiled her eyes gentle.</p><p>"You shouldn't be so surprised actually because I saw the portrait you did for my uncle, Lord Lightbourne and it's magnificent. That's what made me choose you for this"</p><p>"Thank you your majesty" Clarke bowed her head hiding all the emotions she felt from the princess.</p><p>"So it's settled then?"</p><p>Clarke sighed. She didn't know if she ever could say no to this opportunity or her sister altogether. Both were too precious to ignore so she just nodded with a sad smile on her mouth and a spark in her eyes.</p><p>"Yes your majesty. I will do it"</p><p>The princess, No. Her little sister smiled. The same smile she always did whenever she was successful in getting what she wanted and again Clarke was left thinking how much her sister had changed but still looked same at the same time.</p><p>"We should go to the gallery. I want to discuss more details there about how I want it done"</p><p>"Yes your majesty"</p><p>"Have you seen my father? There are some portraits in the gallery and you can use them to get a general idea but I want to help you with the sketch myself. You can do it based on a description right?"</p><p>And again Clarke wanted to cry. No Wanheda could control that feeling. But still she held onto the last thread of self control she had knowing she couldn't create a scene before her sister. No. The crown princess. </p><p>So she tightened her hold on the graphite bench as if she could suck some courage and strength from it and nodded her head slowly unable to communicate through her closed throat. She didn't know what would the princess think. What answer she'd get from that nod, the answer that she had seen the king or the answer that she had confirmed her skills about creating sketches based on descriptions. But Clarke didn't care about it. She didn't have enough energy to think about it or react so she settled into that nod letting the princess think whatever she wanted.</p><p>When she felt a hand on her hand that was tightened around the graphit edge of the bench she lifted her eyes up to find Raven looking at her with a questioning look and nodded again beckoning she was fine and only then she realised that the princess had gotten up from the bench and looking at her with curious eyes.</p><p>She got up quickly head still down trying to hold her tears back.</p><p>"I apologize your majesty. Seems like my friend is still in a haze of astonishment" </p><p>And again Clarke was thankful for Raven and nodded as she said,<br/>"I'm sorry your majesty. It's just this is a great opportunity for me as an artist. One I never thought I could have and I feel so honoured"</p><p>She hoped and prayed the princess didn't notice the hoarseness and tremble in her voice.</p><p>"Your talent is the sole reason that brought you here today. My father used to say that one should never underestimate the talent they possess but also should never overestimate it too and as I see it you are humble about it so don't think or worry too much. Just do your best"</p><p>Clarke knew she was staring but still couldn't stop her eyes from wandering around the face of the princess, No her sister as she used their father's life lessons to encourage her. Clarke thought how much her little sister had grown up and how much more matured she had become and couldn't help but feel a new spark of pride in her chest which she welcomed happily.</p><p>"Thank you again your majesty. I will do more than my best"</p><p>The princess just smiled nodding before gesturing to follow her as she started to walk towards the castle her Eagle warrior guard trailing behind them like a shadow.</p><p>When they entered the castle Clarke tried to remember where they were going as the place had changed so much over last years forcing her to think that maybe they had changed it completely making it look more powerful and majestic.</p><p>Their walk along the long outer hallway of the castle came to a stop when a soldier appeared before them a solemn look on his face and bowed to the princess.</p><p>"Your majesty. The commander request to see Wanheda for a moment at her meeting room. Said it's urgent"</p><p>The princess narrowed her eyes Clarke mirroring her look.</p><p>"Right now?"</p><p>"Yes your majesty. She apologized in advanced and said it won't take much time" The man looked as if he was trapped between both his commander's and crown princess's wrath and Clarke felt bad for him for a moment but the thought vanished within a millisecond as she remembered that the commander wanted to meet <em>her</em> about some urgent matter and cursed at her fate which couldn't stop for a moment without snaring her in some kind of trouble.</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~</p><p> </p><p>Her feet hurried down the hallway as she walked towards her personal room in the castle deep in thought and to an outsider she seemed like she was not paying attention to anything around her but anyone who knew the commander understood better.</p><p>She entered the room waving the two guards outside to go away before closing the door behind her.</p><p>She had two rooms for herself in the castle of Polis. One at the building of royal bedchambers and one at the main building of the castle. Latter was the one she often used and her feet had barely even touched the other one. She liked her official room and spent most of her time there, doors and curtains always closed and away from the guards and nobles.</p><p>The room consisted of two parts, outer part was used as a meeting room, comfortable looking couch and three chairs were placed in the middle like a circle and a large fireplace was lit directly opposite to the main door lighting the whole room and the remaining space of the wall was covered in a huge bookshelf. Right wall of the room was also hidden behind another bookshelf which covered the whole wall and the left wall of the room was filled with maps, all pinned to the wall. One could see a door in the middle of the left wall leading to the inner part of the room which the commander used as her study and office room.</p><p>Inner part was lightened up with five large candelabras and a oil lamp was lit up on a large table that was so organized, maps, papers and some books on the surface. Right wall of inner room was filled with weapons. Swords; both long and short, shields, some spears and daggers. Two armours were attached to the wall all the pieces together like a man without flesh. Right wall was again filled with more detailed maps of each clan and the wall behind the table was bare except a large symbol of Trikru which looked like it was painted on the wall.</p><p>This inner part of the room where the commander stopped her feet, behind the table and her gaze firmly fixed on the symbol of Trikru.</p><p>
  <em>You already are a legend, as the commander but you didn't forget you are the lady of Trikru too, did you?</em>
</p><p>Lexa was so sure about her position. She was a great commander. A powerful protector to the nation. A strong leader to her clan. But that one woman whose eyes fierce and sound thunder had made a belief shaken. She was forced to think about her position and her duty again.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes. Clenched her jaw and balled her fists.</p><p>Had she missed something as the lady of Trikru. Was there anything she didn't know about her own clan. Was it not the truth what witnessed whenever she went among the people in disguise. Had she been treating her people unfairly even without realising it.</p><p>She didn't know how long she stood there, thinking and thinking, trying to understand. She knew the fire that was burning in those blue eyes were not something simple. It carried the heat of years. A heat that made the all powerful commander to question her own duties and capabilities and she didn't like that at all. She hated that all the things that Wanheda said seemed true. She hated that some commoner was able to question her today when she was proud of herself as a leader, as a protector and a soldier. She hated that that woman made her feel all of the things she was feeling and she hated that part of her that was screaming to ask more from that woman, that was suggesting her to ask help from that woman to understand where she went wrong.</p><p>She was pulled back to the moment with a call of "Heda" which sounded urgent and she forced the tornado of her thoughts to stop for a moment before going back to the outer room only to see Lincoln standing there with a frown.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You were right about Atom Hill Heda. He's using tax money to buy illegal weapons from Mount Weather"</p><p>Her eyes narrowed and as she gestured him to follow her she noticed there were more people behind him. Anya and lord Kyle Wick, a minor lord of Mount Weather, a faithful and intelligent man and a Black Eagle soldier followed behind bowing their heads and she nodded gesturing them to follow her.</p><p>When they all were seated she looked at Lincoln expectantly.</p><p>"He had already done this once, but with his own money and this time he used last month's tax money of his fief"</p><p>Atom Hill, one of the minor lords of Arkadia who always showed off his wealth and nobility was under Lexa's network of spies for a long time because of his reckless spending of money and unknown sources of income he had and just last month they had found his illegal weapon deals with some illicit dealers of Mount Weather so this was a big threat to both the security of the country and the morality of the law.</p><p>"I already put my own spies to gather information about that group of dealers but they are like a needle in a haystack" Lord Wick said with anger evident in his voice.</p><p>"Well last time he had used Dropship to make the deal and we hope he'll do the same this time" </p><p>Anya's information made the commander spin her head towards her raising her eyebrows.</p><p>"Dropship?"</p><p>"Yes Heda. Dropship is popular amongst nobles for private deals and matters as it provides a good privacy and security" Lincoln's explanation made her frown.</p><p>"Security?"</p><p>"Yes. It's known that the Dropship is a place where you can guarantee your secrecy and security as they don't allow anyone unidentified to enter and no one is allowed to use weapons inside the place. They only allow it to few most wealthy and noble people"</p><p>The commander narrowed her eyes, that's something she didn't know.</p><p>"But it's not the only place like that. There're few other places too but Dropship is the most luxurious and popular amongst nobles"</p><p>"Indra. Send someone to the crown princess and request her to send Wanheda here for a minute. Tell it's urgent" She knew her voice was hard but she didn't care. </p><p>A matter she was busy trying to solve, one that was highly important and dangerously connected to the law of the country being involved with that woman somehow made her uneasy. She knew Wanheda was someone powerful with her wealth, connections she had with nobles and all the rumours that followed her around but her never imagined her being involved in something like that. She felt like it didn't fit well with the woman she met. The woman who was like literal fire when she talked about commoners and their needs. It didn't fit.</p><p>"Why her? I don't think she knows anything about it. She's just the owner who takes money for the service" Lincoln asked.</p><p>"Well I don't think so. She seemed like she knows everything" Lexa retorted.</p><p>"Anya, send someone to the great hall and ask Bellamy and Wells to be here. We want someone from Arkadia before we decide what to do"</p><p>"Yes Heda"</p><p> </p><p>~~***~~</p><p> </p><p>She was pacing. It was more than enough time for her to come, Bellamy and Wells were there, they even got briefed about the situation but still that woman was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>Maybe the princess didn't want to send her. She thought and she's about to tell Indra to send another messenger the door to the room opened and she automatically got up when she saw the crown princess in the doorway instead of the woman she wanted to see.</p><p>"Your majesty"</p><p>"I hope I'm not intruding but I wanted to see what urgent matter you had to discuss with my guest" </p><p>Lexa bowed avoiding the look of accuse the princess gave her and gestured her to take a seat to which she did take the couch gesturing Wanheda who was following her behind to sit there as well.</p><p>Lexa clenched her jaw.</p><p><em>She must be thinking that I did it on purpose because of what Wanheda did to me.</em> She thought but them shook her head and then gestured Anya to explain the situation.</p><p>Since the moment Anya started her report Lexa's gaze was fixed on the woman who was sitting beside the princess trying to read her expressions. No. Trying to read her eyes and forehead. But she couldn't find anything other than getting caught two times to which she didn't show the internal embarrassment and kept her gaze steady and cold.</p><p>When Anya finished the princess looked at Lexa.</p><p>"So you asked to see Wanheda about?"</p><p>Lexa wanted to sigh. She still thought she was doing this on purpose.</p><p>"I thought maybe Wanheda would know something about it. Maybe about the next meeting which is going to happen next week according to my people"</p><p>And again those blue eyes caught fire and she tried to ignore the voice that said how captivating it looked.</p><p>"So the commander thinks that I have some connection to it? That I do illegal business inside my business place?"</p><p>"Well I don't think you are not informed about all the things that's going on behind the walls of your business place" She emphasised last two words.</p><p>"I provide a safe place for my customers to do their business but I don't invade thier privacy"</p><p>"Any business?" Again, she emphasised on any.</p><p>"Not any. Only the ones that I know is not a treason"</p><p>"So buying illegal weapons using the tax money of commoners is not treason?" She took a step forward inching closer to the couch.</p><p>And Wanheda got up, her eyes never leaving Lexa's own.</p><p>"Are you trying to get back at me about earlier commander? But let me tell you this is not the same. Having not an idea about some of your duties and being questioned about your choice of making a living is completely different"</p><p>The commander stopped. She felt herself hesitating. Was she trying to get back at her. She thought. No she wasn't. That woman was a mystery. A puzzle and Lexa just wanted to find at least one piece.</p><p>"No." He voice was steady. "I just want to know if you knew about what was happening inside your place"</p><p>"Would you believe me if said no?" It was a challenge.</p><p>"Give me one reason"</p><p>"Don't you think they chose to make a deal in my place because of the guaranteed privacy they got? Because of the trust they had that me or my people would never do anything like you accused us about?" </p><p>Her voice was steel and eyes were fire but Lexa was still the commander.</p><p>"Didn't you get paid for their meetings?"</p><p><strong><em>"I</em> </strong>didn't get paid. The inn did for the service it provided"</p><p>Lexa didn't know what she wanted to hear and what she wanted to prove but whatever it was this woman was making it impossible.</p><p>"So they don't have another appointment for next week?"</p><p>"They do" </p><p>It was not Wanheda that answered. It was the other woman. Her friend, cousin or assistant and that's when she realised where she was and what she was doing.</p><p>Wanheda was standing before her just few inches away. Her eyes fire and narrowed looking at Lexa with a expression that made her own eyes burn. It was a strange feeling but the brunette found herself unable to take her eyes away.</p><p>That never happened before. She thought. Maybe one or twice? But with a totally different person. She quickly dismissed the thought and blinked recovering from that uncomfortable gaze and averted her gaze only to see the princess looking at her with an unreadable expression on her face.</p><p>She cleared her throat and that made the other woman jolt as if she was in some kind of haze too. She shook her head and turned around her back to the commander and started with a heavy voice.</p><p>"When is it?" Wanheda asked her friend.</p><p>"Mid day of the week"</p><p>She then turned towards the princess holding herself in a perfect curtsey.</p><p>"Your majesty I apologize but can I ask for another time for that tour to the royal gallery? I think I have something to do"</p><p>The princess glared at Lexa and she knew she's going to get a long lecture that night and held back a sigh.</p><p>"Of course Wanheda and I apologize for all this" Princess Madi waved her hands around, giving her a smile.</p><p>"Thank you your majesty"</p><p>And then the woman turned around again, this time towards the commander. Her eyes was less hard but they looked tired.</p><p>"You can send someone for more information tomorrow and I'll ask everyone to say everything they know"</p><p>She bowed and the only thing Lexa could do was stare. Her nod was ignored as the woman again turned her back to her as she started to walk towards the door, her friend following and when Lexa broke her stare and looked back at the room everyone was looking at her and she was grateful that she was still in her mask. It hid her grimace as she sighed behind it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments. This response means a lot to me and I really appreciate it.</p><p>There's a short delay than I intended on this chapter. This working from home thing and online lectures sucks.</p><p>Stay safe everyone. Merry Christmas in advance. Spread love.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>After watching Clexa this idea had been roaming inside my head for so long. But I never did get any chance to put it into words. Recently I read this fanfiction "What heart's ease must queens neglect" and it was so amazing that I wanted to finally write this one.</p><p>This is my very first fan fiction and English is not my first language. So feel free to tell me if there are any mistakes. Specially spelling mistakes🙏</p></blockquote></div></div>
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